Definition of steely
steelier
;steeliest
1 : resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness) steely determination steely blue
2 : made of steel
steeliness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of steely in a Sentence
a thief with steely nerves
He had a steely determination to succeed.
She gave him a steely gaze.
a sky filled with steely gray clouds
the judge's steely blue eyes
Recent Examples of steely from the Web
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Landrieu, much to his credit, helped restore faith in the city's government and reversed Nagin's spiraling debt crisis with some tough decisions and steely discipline.
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But Conway’s troubles do fit with a series-long motif of the steely Underwoods winning out while others in their field succumb to human fragility.
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That kind of toughness sums up the steely character of most folks who have lived along Lake Superior over the centuries—from the Ojibwe to the French voyageurs to Nordic immigrant fishermen.
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President George W. Bush, during a Memorial Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery, honored U.S. troops who had fought and died for freedom and expressed his steely resolve to succeed in the war in Iraq.
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But thanks to Friend’s sensitive yet steely portrayal of a man damaged outside and in from his experiences, Quinn was able to rise from his ashes and go out in a blaze of glory — and the ultimate sacrifice.
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Truth be told, nothing matches the uncompromising brutality of these steely imports.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steely'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of steely
1509
STEELY Defined for English Language Learners
steely
playDefinition of steely for English Language Learners
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: very strong and determined often in a cold or unfriendly way
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: resembling steel especially in color
STEELY Defined for Kids
steely
playDefinition of steely for Students
steelier
;steeliest
: like steel (as in hardness, strength, or color) steely eyes
Learn More about steely
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See words that rhyme with steely Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for steely Spanish Central: Translation of steely Nglish: Translation of steely for Spanish speakers
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