icily

American  

[ahy-suh-lee] / ˈaɪ sə li /

adverb

1. in an icy manner.

   I received him icily because of the harsh way he had treated me.

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icily British  

/ ˈaɪsɪlɪ /

adverb

1. in an icy or reserved manner

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Other Word Forms

• iciness noun

Etymology

Origin of icily

First recorded in 1840–50; icy + -ly

Example Sentences

Djrum, the project of British musician Felix Manuel, issued “Under Tangled Silence,” an icily pretty record that combined jazzy and neoclassical piano flourishes with fleet and skittering drum programming borrowed from ’90s styles like jungle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

Caroline hugs Ken, and after icily embracing Shiv, kicks off a baby reveal exchange for the ages.

From Salon • May 22, 2023

His dreamlike “Fly” series for Bazaar in 1965 featured icily chic models clad in Dior soaring over the streets of Paris or over the tabletops of elegant paneled restaurants filled with well-heeled diners.

From New York Times • Sep. 14, 2022

Sean Connery carried it off with icily disdainful style, perhaps at the baccarat table, in full evening dress with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

From The Guardian • Aug. 25, 2020

“Last time I checked, you called Yakov’s death an accident,” I said icily.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros