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
Or a steely rationalist, girding for continuous summer?
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
The conversation between him and David Carradine’s Bill, however, once again taps into that same steely, slow-and-low vibe that Marvin parlayed into an entire career, and was the he-man crown Madsen should have been the heir to.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2025
Like Nielsen, Emmy winner Robert Stack became a master of deadpan late in his career, famously spoofing his own steely demeanor as Captain Rex Kramer in Airplane!.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 2 July 2025
That journey includes a flirtation with steely race engineer Kate McKenna (Condon, 42) and push-back from brash teammate Joshua Pearce (Idris, 33).
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
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Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 July 2025
The conversation between him and David Carradine’s Bill, however, once again taps into that same steely, slow-and-low vibe that Marvin parlayed into an entire career, and was the he-man crown Madsen should have been the heir to.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2025
Like Nielsen, Emmy winner Robert Stack became a master of deadpan late in his career, famously spoofing his own steely demeanor as Captain Rex Kramer in Airplane!.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 2 July 2025
That journey includes a flirtation with steely race engineer Kate McKenna (Condon, 42) and push-back from brash teammate Joshua Pearce (Idris, 33).
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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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