Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of steely
Explanation
Anything that's steely resembles the metal called steel in some way—it's either hard, strong, bright, or silvery. A sword, a shade of gray, and even a look can be steely. You might describe the steely glint of the polished silverware on the table, or the steely blue of your cat's eyes. If someone questions you with a steely coldness, they are hard and emotionless—as cold as steel. You could also describe this person as "flinty" or "stony," other unbending adjectives. When steely was first used in the 16th century, it also described things literally "made of steel."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Real-life proprietor Andrea Pruett, a sweet but steely Southerner who kept her own gun behind the counter, greeted them in French and German, then fed them buffalo burgers and omelets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
It is, for Vytas, an ego-shredding conversation, and for Marija no doubt a difficult one, steely though she is in the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
With his slick black hair and steely gaze, he was practically born for the part.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
"He's more steely than people think," one ally says.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
In a steely voice she told me to read it when I got back to the car.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Only when the topic of the closure came up did the owner’s friendly manner shift into something steelier.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2023
But Stephen Wallace is made of steelier stuff than most.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2021
She often plays sunny characters with something steelier underneath.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2019
This creates a stronger glass that is steelier on the outside.
From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2016
Slowly, as they kept talking, his face got steelier and steelier.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
There’s something about this storied tournament that can make even the steeliest of players weak in the knees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Russians are famously great chess players, yet there are moments when even the steeliest grandmasters find their initial advances on the board blocked and must adjust strategy.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 15, 2022
The work can bring some of the steeliest to crumble.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2021
Ah, the smile of Kirk: one of the steeliest blades in cinema, unrusted by the years.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 9, 2016
His young charge said no more; he only looked at his beaming preceptor with eyes cold with the steeliest contempt.
From Happy Pollyooly The Rich Little Poor Girl by Edgar Jepson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
