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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 The film also distinguishes itself from earlier noir paradigms by choosing a main character whose teen idol-like appearance differed from the steely and strong-jawed features of those characters that previously dominated the genre. Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025 Sometimes, a slow heartbeat and a steely resolve are even bigger advantages. Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 June 2025 Painting broadly on a still relatively fresh canvas, Boone expresses an endearing willingness to grow his craft but also a steely reverence to painfully obvious points of reference. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for steely

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steely was in 1509

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steely. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

steely

adjective
steelier; steeliest
1
: made of steel
2
: resembling steel (as in hardness or color)
a steely gaze
steeliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on steely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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