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• steel
  steel

  noun

  any of various modified forms of iron, artificially produced, having a carbon content less than that of pig iron and more than that of wrought iron, and having qualities of hardness, elasticity, and strength varying according to composition and heat treatment: generally categorized as having a high, medium, or low-carbon content.
• Steel
  Steel

  noun

  Danielle, full name Danielle Fernande Schüelein-Steel. born 1950, US writer of romantic fiction

steel

American  

[steel] / stil /

noun

steel plural

1. any of various modified forms of iron, artificially produced, having a carbon content less than that of pig iron and more than that of wrought iron, and having qualities of hardness, elasticity, and strength varying according to composition and heat treatment: generally categorized as having a high, medium, or low-carbon content.

2. a thing or things made of this metal.

3. a flat strip of this metal used for stiffening, especially in corsets; stay.

4. a bar of this metal that has one end formed to hold a bit for driving through rock.

5. steels, stocks or bonds of companies producing this metal.

6. a sword.

7. a rounded rod of ridged steel, fitted with a handle and used especially for sharpening knives.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or made of steel.

2. like steel in color, hardness, or strength.

verb (used with object)

steels, present (3rd person singular) steeled, past participle, past steeling present participle

1. to fit with steel, as by pointing, edging, or overlaying.

2. to cause to resemble steel in some way.

3. to render insensible, inflexible, unyielding, determined, etc..

   He steeled himself to perform the dangerous task.

steel ¹ British  

/ stiːl /

noun

1. 1. any of various alloys based on iron containing carbon (usually 0.1–1.7 per cent) and often small quantities of other elements such as phosphorus, sulphur, manganese, chromium, and nickel. Steels exhibit a variety of properties, such as strength, machinability, malleability, etc, depending on their composition and the way they have been treated

   2. ( as modifier ) See also stainless steel

      steel girders

2. something that is made of steel

3. a steel stiffener in a corset, etc

4. a ridged steel rod with a handle used for sharpening knives

5. the quality of hardness, esp with regard to a person's character or attitudes

6. stock exchange the quotation for steel shares See also steels

7. (modifier) resembling steel

   steel determination

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verb

1. to fit, plate, edge, or point with steel

2. to make hard and unfeeling

   he steeled his heart against her sorrow

   he steeled himself for the blow

Steel ² British  

/ stiːl /

noun

1. Danielle, full name Danielle Fernande Schüelein-Steel. born 1950, US writer of romantic fiction

2. Baron David ( Martin Scott ). born 1938, British politician; leader of the Liberal Party (1976–88); Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (1999–2003)

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steel Scientific  

/ stēl /

1. Any of various hard, strong, flexible alloys of iron and carbon. Often, other metals are added to give steel a particular property, such as chromium and nickel to make it stainless. Steel is widely used in many kinds of tools and as a structural material in building.

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steel Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing steel

• mind like a steel trap

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• presteel
  noun
• steeliness
  noun
• steellike
  adjective
• steely
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• steel
  plural

Participles

• steeling
  present
• steeled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• steel
  simple
• steels
  simple
• have steeled
  perfect
• has steeled
  perfect
• am steeling
  progressive
• are steeling
  progressive
• is steeling
  progressive
• have been steeling
  perfect progressive
• has been steeling
  perfect progressive

Past

• steeled
  simple
• had steeled
  perfect
• was steeling
  progressive
• were steeling
  progressive
• had been steeling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will steel
  simple
• will have steeled
  perfect
• will be steeling
  progressive
• will have been steeling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of steel

before 900; (noun) Middle English stele, Old English (north) stēle; cognate with Dutch staal, German Stahl, Old Norse stāl; (v.) Middle English stelen, Old English styled edged with steel, derivative of the noun

Explanation

Steel is a kind of metal alloy that's made of iron and carbon. It's known for being incredibly strong and is often used to build the framework of skyscrapers. It's also helpful to have "nerves of steel." Steel isn't just a kind of metal. A steel can also be the long, rough thing you sharpen knives on. Or if you're one of the Three Musketeers, you probably carry a steel, or a sword. People who are really brave have nerves of steel. And if you want to use steel as a verb, go right ahead: if there's something hard or unpleasant ahead, you'll need to steel yourself to get ready for it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

steel Steel steels steeled steeling

Our critic raved that “Carol Bove is an illusionist. Under her spell, steel is transformed into supple leather, sagging vinyl, crinkled plastic.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

In the 12th-floor model unit, the steel framework has even been turned into closet shelving.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

They were developed by the Army to penetrate a steel helmet from a faraway distance.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Goods already facing sector-specific tariffs like steel and aluminum will not be impacted.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

When no impact came, I opened my eyes to discover that I was standing in front of a large steel door.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Earlier this week, Steel Dynamics posted a higher profit and revenue in its second quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Steel Dynamics’ revenue rose to $6.09 billion from $4.57 billion, exceeding analyst forecasts of $5.56 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The resulting book, a deliberately meandering account of her Steel City sojourn, weds memoir, travelogue, philosophical rumination and journalistic investigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The former owner of British Steel has said it will pursue the British government for compensation after the loss-making firm was nationalised.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Even more damaging was the testimony of W. M. Mink, the superintendent at the Homestead Steel Works.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Washington steels his gaze and we cut to black.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

More than 600 people work at the site, which manufactures about 400,000 tonnes of tin, chrome and coated steels for the packaging industry every year.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Decades ago, scientists observed that some steels performed better when heat treated in the presence of a magnetic field, but the explanations at the time were largely theoretical.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 26, 2026

Back home in Elk Grove, Calif., Yip steels herself in the parking lot before braving the chaos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

It angers him, and it steels his determination to push northward.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

As Gulf allies brace for more retaliation, energy markets steeled themselves for another economic hit, and traffic through the strait is once again stalling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Tanker driver Baba steeled himself for yet another perilous journey from Ivory Coast to Mali loaded up with desperately needed fuel -- and fear.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025

The annihilation of George Armstrong Custer and the larger part of his Seventh Cavalry steeled the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Mexico and Canada, those countries have been spared an arduous qualifying competition — tense games that would have steeled them for the tournament ahead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2025

She steeled herself and got back on the highway, determined to drive straight through to Phoenix.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

When lenders quietly rewrite the rules of engagement, or demand all-for-one consent before lien subordination, it signals a system steeling itself for impact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025

They might have been steeling themselves for some thunder and lightning from the fans.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025

But now Thomas stood with his right toe on the stripe, steeling himself for two of the biggest free throws of USC’s season to date.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2025

Small towns and rural enclaves along the path of April’s total solar eclipse are steeling for huge crowds of sun chasers who plan to catch a glimpse of day turning into dusk in North America.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

I can tell she’s steeling herself for something.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• brace
• fortify
• gird