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.
Boston’s steely swipe The Yankees entered these playoffs as arguably the hottest team in the bracket. Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 The steely face is adorned with a guilloché date subdial at 12 o’clock, a mesmerizing tourbillon (Calibre 978) at 6 o’clock, and pink gold markers and hands. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2025 Her character, a fragile but quietly steely woman, might be the straightest Burnett has ever played. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 Soon, the show introduces the Guinness family enforcer Sean Rafferty, a steely and strong-jawed James Norton, who’s assembling his men to tamp down on the protestors. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Sep. 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 6 Oct. 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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