steely

adjective

ˈstē-lē How to pronounce steely (audio)
Definition of steelynext
1
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
2
as in gray
of the color gray steely eyes that are the color of a stormy sky

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 On Prison Break, the steely-eyed William Fichtner played relentless FBI agent Alexander Mahone, who is tasked with hunting the main characters down. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
  1. gruff
  2. gray
  3. stern
  4. silver
  5. fierce
  6. grim
  7. rugged
  8. intimidating
Adjective
  • Loneliness looms as a threat to all genders, but men, who are lauded for gruff stoicism and scorned for vulnerability, can be especially ill-equipped to navigate atomization.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • His reputation for having a gruff demeanor, Sweet says, is accurate, but attack ads that portray him as antagonistic toward women go too far.
    — Julia Terruso, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • Robinson, wearing a light gray suit, uncuffed and unshackled, did not address the court.
    — Michael Ruiz , Jamie Vera, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Attias stood in the hotel lobby, whose design leans toward gray, black, white, earth tones and chrome.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of gray
Adjective
  • Mbappe’s comments additionally drew a stern rebuke from the Chinese Football Association, which has demanded a public apology from Madrid.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Golden had a stern message for his players in the locker room.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • The dying granny, who chops away at her appendage with a prop hatchet, is played by Lee, sporting a silver wig seemingly fashioned of rope.
    — Mark Asch, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The new laboratory-scale method uses a molten mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide to pop silver wires off dead solar cells.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of silver
Adjective
  • Projects that communities had originally welcomed were suddenly met with fierce opposition, and companies had to improve.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • What is to come afterwards is when their world is on fire as the fierce Battle Of Okinawa Island takes them , and us, back to sad reality.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • The discovery raises the possibility of a grim outcome in the search for the four men, which has led to El Salvador deploying 450 special forces soldiers to Haiti as of Friday to aid the gang-fighting force in the search.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The arc of Bradley Whitford’s career makes for a grim report card on the state of the country.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of grim
Adjective
  • This one springs from the rugged land where the home is located and pays homage to its setting through its design.
    — Francesca Longoni, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Not far from Dublin’s Trinity College are the offices of Wild Atlantic Pictures, named after the 1,500-mile stretch of western Ireland’s rugged coastline.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of rugged
Adjective
  • The Man With the Bag is rated PG, which means there couldn’t possibly have been a moment where Schwarzenegger called his family, say, covered in fake blood or wielding an intimidating weapon.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On their own, the clues in the set are brief and uninformative enough to be a little intimidating.
    — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimidating

Browse Nearby Words

steels
steely
steep
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Cite this Entry

“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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