steelier; steeliest
1
: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)
steely determination
steely blue
2
: made of steel
steeliness
noun
Synonyms
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 on the Web
Satya’s steely intimidation embodies how any cool older sisters looks to her younger siblings (and more to the point: anyone who threatens her younger siblings).
—
Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2024
Israelis’ feelings of vulnerability haven’t gone, while national rage has been refined into a steely logic of regional deterrence, manifested by Israel’s right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
The steely faux-Gothic design of Lord Norman Foster’s Four Twenty Five skyscraper, including the restaurant, was bankrolled by the same entrepreneurs who took over the Seagram Building, Aby Rosen, David Levinson and Robert Lapidus.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
In an instant, his face grew gaunt, the eyes steely.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for steely 
Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2024
Israelis’ feelings of vulnerability haven’t gone, while national rage has been refined into a steely logic of regional deterrence, manifested by Israel’s right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
The steely faux-Gothic design of Lord Norman Foster’s Four Twenty Five skyscraper, including the restaurant, was bankrolled by the same entrepreneurs who took over the Seagram Building, Aby Rosen, David Levinson and Robert Lapidus.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
In an instant, his face grew gaunt, the eyes steely.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for steely
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steely
adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness
noun
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