1
: suggestive of ice: such as
a
: extremely cold : frigid
a glacial wind
b
: devoid of warmth and cordiality
a glacial handshake
c
: coldly imperturbable
maintained a glacial calm
2
: of a purity marked by the tendency to readily solidify in the form of ice-like crystals
glacial acetic acid
3
a(1)
: of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time from Precambrian onward when a much larger portion of the earth was covered by glaciers than at present
(2)
capitalized
: pleistocene
b
: of, relating to, or produced by glaciers
c
: suggestive of the very slow movement of glaciers
progress on the bill has been glacial
Synonyms
Examples of glacial in a Sentence
Progress on the bill has been glacial.
a glacial weather front coming down from Canada will bring freezing temperatures this weekend
Recent Examples on the Web
The plot moves at a glacial pace and the dialogue is stilted and unbelievable.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Low’s sound is solemn, sometimes glacial, with elliptical lyrics that often touch on questions of faith.
—Justin Taylor, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glacial 
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Low’s sound is solemn, sometimes glacial, with elliptical lyrics that often touch on questions of faith.
—Justin Taylor, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glacial
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glacial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near glacial
Cite this Entry
“Glacial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glacial. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glacial
adjective
gla·cial
ˈglā-shəl 
1
a
: extremely cold : frigid
b
: lacking warmth of feeling
2
a
: of, relating to, or produced by glaciers
b
: of, relating to, or being any of those parts of geologic time when a large portion of the earth was covered by glaciers
c
capitalized
: pleistocene
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