STEELY Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē

Definition of steely

as in gruff

harsh and threatening in manner or appearance pinned them with a steely gaze and demanded to know what they were doing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in gray

of the color gray steely eyes that are the color of a stormy sky

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of steely Fly’s brand of rap, defined by spare, steely 808 beats and club shoutouts, was wildly popular, spawning nearly 50 mixtape volumes and many more songs since. — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 With a steely disposition, Dikha is seen in the videos standing at the very front of a thin boat, executing a repetitive series of dance moves as a line of rowers propel them through a river. — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 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 See All Example Sentences for steely

Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely

Adjective

Over three decades in stand-up comedy, Bill Burr has gained a reputation for saying, with gruff conviction and political fire, the thing on everyone’s mind.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
We were taught by a gruff cockney called Fred Waring, who had participated in the D-Day landings in a regiment that had fought its way across Europe towards Berlin and liberated the concentration camp at Belsen.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

According to a preliminary investigation, the crash happened as a gray Toyota Camry sped south on Prospect.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
In Proserpina, eleven vertical yellow wooden rods, enrobed in layers of gray and maroon wire netting, increase in length around a wire-mesh spiral that reaches three feet at its tallest point.

— Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of gray

Adjective

Preliminary information indicates that the explosion occurred near the vessel’s stern deck, resulting in limited damage, a police spokesperson said in a statement.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
As the Pacific Princess’ Captain Stubing, Gavin MacLeod played the stern yet beloved authority figure better than many might’ve expected, given how closely he’d become associated with comedy by that point.

— Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of stern

Adjective

There are no people in her piece, simply 45 silver images of Bowery storefronts and gutters, typically littered with empty bottles.

— J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Some were obvious, like Lucia Pieroni’s crafty crystals dotting eyes at Celine and silver-leaf foreheads by makeup artist Fara Homidi at Gabriela Hearst.

— Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of silver

Adjective

The rare show of alignment among fierce rivals was soon countered by comments from Meta’s Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, both of whom dismissed the slowdown idea.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
The book and series focus on the complicated romance of Canadian hockey prodigy Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian phenom Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who are the fierce on-ice rivals and the league’s best players.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

The search spanned rugged, steep terrain and took more than 300 hours of work by 20 volunteer rescuers, aided by local and state agencies and helicopters.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
This pattern is likely to be even more pronounced in rugged terrain, where some rain totals could verge on the extreme.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of rugged

Adjective

For the event, REK also gave the T800 a much more intimidating look.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
At the peak of the Knights’ best run in program history in the late 2010s, the Acrisure Bounce House became one of the most intimidating stadiums to play in, especially at night.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of intimidating

Browse Nearby Words

steels

steely

steep

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“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of steely

adjective

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