steely

[ stee-lee ]

adjective

, steel·i·er, steel·i·est.

1. consisting or made of steel.
2. resembling or suggesting steel, as in color, strength, or hardness.

Other Words From

• steeli·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of steely¹

First recorded in 1500–10; steel + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Much has changed since the 1980s, but the cinematic tale we recently published suggests the steely nerve of Larry Wu-Tai Chin is alive and well among China’s espionage agents.

From ProPublica

They were staring each other down, steely-eyed, until one of them blinked.

From Freakonomics

The neuroscientists describe a scenario in which a brain implant that enables a paralyzed man to control a prosthetic arm suddenly goes haywire because the man feels frustrated, and it attacks an assistant with its steely claws.

From Quanta Magazine

Elsewhere, she betrays a surprisingly thin skin given her steely demeanor during four decades in the public eye.

From Time

McCrory appeared in more than 70 movies and television shows, notably playing the steely Aunt Polly in the crime drama “Peaky Blinders,” which premiered in 2013 and developed a following in the United States after being picked up by Netflix.

From Washington Post

Its biggest asset, of course, is the steely Atwell, who never asks you to feel sorry for Carter despite all the sexism around her.

From The Daily Beast

Gone are the wild-eyed revolutionaries in Donetsk and Luhansk, replaced by steely-eyed bureaucrats and seasoned combat veterans.

From The Daily Beast

So, people sped by the models less out of puritanical deference to the naked bodies, but to keep up their steely reputations.

From The Daily Beast

With a soft smile and a shrug that belied by his steely eyes, he replied, “Start another.”

From The Daily Beast

She's a steely ingenue, a fair-faced heroine, a leading lady.

From The Daily Beast

The lawyer's steely gaze was sunk in the soft blue depths of hers.

From Project Gutenberg

His hand flashed out and grasped the other's wrist in a steely grip.

From Project Gutenberg

She plunged into the chilly equinoctial darkness as the clock struck ten, for her fifteen miles' walk under the steely stars.

From Project Gutenberg

Anger itself could not warm her, for that she was angry was plain only from the steely sparkle in her grey eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

It remedies matters when you have some one to fight for you, asserted Ronny, her gray eyes steely with purpose.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• adamant
• immutable
• intractable
• obstinate
• resolute
• rigid
• rigorous
• steadfast
• strict
• stringent
• uncompromising
• unyielding