glacial
4
7.5
- adjective
- /ˈɡleɪʃəl/
- Despite his glacial response, I could sense that he was annoyed by the constant interruptions.
Examples
-
The president maintained glacial equanimity.
Fiction book (2000) -
Donna turned, meeting those glacial eyes limpidly, with all the strength of her waking reality.
Fiction book (1990) -
The man himself moved with what seemed glacial slowness, like a wind-up toy about to stop and fall over.
Fiction book (2001) -
The clerk completed the order forms with glacial slowness, refusing eye contact, snorting softly as we handed her the check.
Fiction book (2002) -
Why is it you scientists can create implements of destruction so quickly, but when it comes to cures and benefits, your speedis nothing short of glacial?
-
Letty wondered what it would take to ruffle the glassy smooth surface of her stepmother's glacial poise.
Fiction book (1992) -
In sum, I conclude—albeit somewhat cautiously—that the movement toward Arab-Israeli peace, however glacial, is probably irreversible.
Academic text (1995) -
Her glacial demeanor made it clear that she did not appreciate the manager's jokes.
-
The student's glacial expression during the meeting suggested he was uninterested in the topic.
Synonyms
372
4.4
Unfriendly and distant in feeling or action
22
4.1
Very cold with no warmth left
16
3.3
Cold and unfriendly in tone or manner
10
3.6
Unfriendly and showing little warmth towards other people
7
5.1
Not warm or friendly in manner
7
6.5
Showing no feeling or sympathy
5
3.5
Not friendly or warm toward other people
4
7.2
Not showing any feeling or kindness to others
3
7.6
Not showing strong feeling when judging something
3
8.1
Not showing feelings or care and seeming cold and unkind
3
5.2
Not friendly or warm in how someone acts
1
9.9
Very cold in a way that feels unpleasant
1
5.1
Not friendly and showing little warmth toward others
1
8.7
Very formal and cold in a way that makes people feel unwelcome
Showing no warmth or feeling
Antonyms
Compounds
How Cold
Surface Forms
Morphology
glacial = glacier (semi-transparent) = glaci + al
The word is built on the glacier/glaci- stem plus the adjective suffix -al, but this sense is a metaphorical extension to human demeanor rather than a literal physical description.
Etymology
Glacial comes from the Latin glacies, which means 'ice', and it shares the same root as glacier. Think of a person as cold as ice — a 'glacial' look or voice shows they are very unfriendly.