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Glite Dictionary
steely-eyed

steely-eyed

5 7.7
Having a firm, determined look in the eyes
  • adjective
  • /ˈstiːli aɪd/
: mirada firme
  • Despite the chaos around him, he remained steely-eyed, focused on his goal without any signs of wavering.
  • looks steely-eyed
  • steely-eyed man

And they're moving forward steely eyed and stable and upright.

Examples

  • This is a particularly steely-eyed crowd of astute and learned liberals you're dealing with.

    Blog text (15)

  • Delaney imagined steely-eyed little people watching them from the deep shadows.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • And you, sir, are a steely-eyed missile man.

    Apollo 13 (1995)

  • "Steely-eyed, Anna stared at him over her shoulder."

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Wade stands, steely-eyed, and looks at Otis nose to nose. WADE: I told you to do something.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I should've recognized the steely-eyed gaze of a fellow brother-in-arms.

    Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)

  • Dwight's wife, a pert, steely-eyed brunette, places a firm hand on his shoulder.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • She brought up the image of Fritz, who was a square-jawed, steely-eyed, stern-faced monument.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The coach gave his team a steely-eyed look, conveying his determination to win the championship.

  • During the negotiation, she maintained a steely-eyed gaze, showing her resolve to achieve a favorable deal.

Synonyms

steely
vssteely-eyed
19 5.5

Being very determined and not showing fear

refers specifically to a hard unyielding look in the eyes
steely-nerved
vssteely-eyed
1 8.3

Very calm and brave in dangerous or difficult situations

expresses firmness in the eyes rather than inner self control
steely-spined
vssteely-eyed
8.1

Being brave and calm under pressure

focuses on a hard unyielding look rather than character backbone

Antonyms

yielding
2 4.8

Willing to agree easily and give up their own view

How Determined

steely-eyed
5 7.7
cold-eyed
3 7.6
watchful
36 3.2

Surface Forms

steely-eyed positive
steely-eyed comparative
steely-eyed superlative

Morphology

steely-eyed = steely + eyed (transparent) = steel + eye + y + ed

The phrase is a straightforward compound: 'steely' (like steel = hard) + '-eyed' ('having eyes of a kind'), yielding 'having hard/determined eyes', which is directly inferable.

Etymology

Steely-eyed comes from steel, the hard metal, and the -eyed part meaning 'with eyes', so it paints a picture of someone who seems to have 'steel' in their look, cold and unyielding. That's why a steely-eyed person looks very firm and determined.