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
There’s her voice, for starters, which is sultry and breathy, marked by a glacial pace that makes Julio and audiences alike become engrossed by her every word.
—
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
Through ancestral knowledge and rituals, the Quechua community is trying to preserve the glacial cap and its ecosystem.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 3 July 2024
One is called Moraine, not lemon meringue, like moraine, like for a glacial moraine.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 3 July 2024
Since the late 18th century, which saw a period of global cooling and glacial formation known as the Little Ice Age, one quarter of the icefield’s total volume has melted.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for glacial 
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
Through ancestral knowledge and rituals, the Quechua community is trying to preserve the glacial cap and its ecosystem.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 3 July 2024
One is called Moraine, not lemon meringue, like moraine, like for a glacial moraine.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 3 July 2024
Since the late 18th century, which saw a period of global cooling and glacial formation known as the Little Ice Age, one quarter of the icefield’s total volume has melted.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 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 15 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share