steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē 

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 of steely

• gruff
• stern
• fierce
• grim
• rugged
• intimidating

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

Beijing — Zhu Rongji, the steely former Chinese premier whose bold economic reforms propelled the country’s rise as a global powerhouse, has died. — Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

The warts-and-all approach gives the film its steely edge and its steady insight. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

D’Arcy closes the window with an air of steely resolve, and in doing so declares the Rhaenyra who might have mourned her half-sister as dead and gone. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

The suspense grows more effective past the one-hour mark, once Dama takes control of the narrative, with Irina, Rosa and Giulia variably helped and hindered by her steely mechanizations. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for steely

• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• vilely
• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli

Kids Definition

steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē 

steelier; steeliest

1

: made of steel

2

: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)

a steely gaze

steeliness noun