steelier; steeliest
1
: resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)
steely determination
steely blue
2
: made of steel
steeliness
noun
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
That story concerns Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist of the usual steely determination.
—
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Cordell Walker, a steely-eyed former Marine who dispensed Lone Star justice with roundhouse kicks and a decidedly old-school moral code.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Filmmaker Ashley Shanté pitched a Hollywood writers’ room on the idea of adding a character who graduated from a historically Black college or university (HBCU), and was met with steely silence.
—Joshua Alston, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Lorkowski stands above the crowd through her steely resolve, conviction and natural leadership.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
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Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Cordell Walker, a steely-eyed former Marine who dispensed Lone Star justice with roundhouse kicks and a decidedly old-school moral code.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Filmmaker Ashley Shanté pitched a Hollywood writers’ room on the idea of adding a character who graduated from a historically Black college or university (HBCU), and was met with steely silence.
—Joshua Alston, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Lorkowski stands above the crowd through her steely resolve, conviction and natural leadership.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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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