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.
a thing or things made of this metal.
a flat strip of this metal used for stiffening, especially in corsets; stay.
a bar of this metal that has one end formed to hold a bit for driving through rock.
steels, stocks or bonds of companies producing this metal.
a sword.
a rounded rod of ridged steel, fitted with a handle and used especially for sharpening knives.
pertaining to or made of steel.
like steel in color, hardness, or strength.
to fit with steel, as by pointing, edging, or overlaying.
to cause to resemble steel in some way.
to render insensible, inflexible, unyielding, determined, etc..
He steeled himself to perform the dangerous task.
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
( as modifier ) See also stainless steel
steel girders
something that is made of steel
a steel stiffener in a corset, etc
a ridged steel rod with a handle used for sharpening knives
the quality of hardness, esp with regard to a person's character or attitudes
stock exchange the quotation for steel shares See also steels
(modifier) resembling steel
steel determination
to fit, plate, edge, or point with steel
to make hard and unfeeling
he steeled his heart against her sorrow
he steeled himself for the blow
Danielle, full name Danielle Fernande Schüelein-Steel. born 1950, US writer of romantic fiction
Baron David ( Martin Scott ). born 1938, British politician; leader of the Liberal Party (1976–88); Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (1999–2003)
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As a result, there is no incentive to rebuild inventories of the steel making raw material, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
During the demo, which was livestreamed on Tesla's X account, the car launched from a steep steel ramp and performed a full barrel roll in mid-air before landing on its wheels.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
In the years since World War II, as steel production slowed and agriculture became one big subsidy, untimely ends became one of the few things you could still expect the U.S. to make itself.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
He also objected to reductions in tariffs on so-called derivative products—finished products made of steel and aluminum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Somebody was wanted to feed lumber into the rig to prove how rugged these new steel models were.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Instead, he entered a management-training program at Inland Steel and moved to East Chicago, Ind., where coke dust from a nearby steel mill drifted into the family home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
But to pinpoint his net worth at a specific point in time, MarketWatch used the 1901 buyout of Carnegie Steel to J.P Morgan as a benchmark for his peak wealth.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
After my discharge from military service in 1962, I spent three years working for multinational institutions—the European Economic, Atomic Energy, and Coal and Steel communities—which in time would become the European Union.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Steel casement windows and oversize doors used throughout the house are salvaged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Steel axes would do the job in the equivalent of eight workdays— almost twenty times faster.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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
Fourth-quarter shipments in special steels are expected to be somewhat lower compared to the previous quarter, with stable prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
It is often used in the production of cast iron and stainless steels as well as some paint pigments, biofuels and solar panels.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025
Tata Steel's exports from the UK to America are packaging steels and tubular products for oil and gas industries, according to Mr Nair.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2025
She steels herself, takes the pillow from her head.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Whether because of his renewed focus, or because of a desire among players to make amends, it steeled the group to make history.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
I understood that it was not culturally acceptable in Russia to confront an older person of authority, so I steeled myself.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
He was steeled for his first shot at a major title, ready to end a 23-year drought for American men at Grand Slam tournaments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Scott Mandel steeled himself to fundraise $60,000 for a student trip to Washington, D.C.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Hesitant to try, Thomas steeled himself and pulled on the vine of ivy with all his strength.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
Nations are steeling for a disappointing report card at this month's UN biodiversity summit, with governments falling short on their commitments to protect the plants, animals and ecosystems that sustain life on Earth.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
The challenge of steeling Taiwan against a blockade starts with energy, in particular the liquefied natural gas used to generate nearly half of Taiwan’s electricity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
That morning, she said, she cried in the shower before steeling herself so she could run out to a Dollar Tree store to pick up some balloons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025
He takes several deep breaths, steeling himself, then walks slowly up to the stump.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025
She’d grown accustomed to their presence, always steeling herself when she had to pass through a cluster of them, but they had never interfered with her before.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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