Rebecca Hall

It doesn't matter how much polite self-deprecating fluff you have on the outside if you don't have a steely something in the middle that says, 'You know what, I'm actually really, really good at this, and this is what I can do, and I'm going to do it.

English Actress

Jon Meacham

Anyone weighing whether to re-elect the President should take the bin Laden operation into account: it is a powerful exhibit that Obama is a steely Commander in Chief - a critical test for many Americans.

American Editor

John Ross Bowie

There's a certain steely resolve when you decide to live in a city and decide to raise children in the city. And if you're doing it properly, you have sort of a heightened awareness anyway.

American Actor

Naomie Harris

Actors need steely determination. It's a tough profession with plenty of knocks along the way. You have to be very determined and never take 'no' for an answer.

British Actress

Bryan Batt

I think there is this steely strength beneath this beautiful veneer that a lot of women possess. I can't fathom or understand it.

David Longstreth

Steely Dan is a band I'm not that into. Well, I guess I like certain singles.

American Musician

Jennifer Egan

I'm a dogged person. I respond to adversity with a steely resistance.

American Novelist

Charles Baudelaire

There is no more steely barb than that of the Infinite.

French Poet

Nate Silver

American Writer

Helen Baxendale

Think of the shiny, hard surface of steel to grasp 'steely' in this context.

Visual Imagery

Use 'steely' to describe mental strength that's as tough as the metal.

Metaphorical Strength

'Steely' is about character or looks, not physical hardness.

Not Physical

'Steely' emphasizes emotional coldness or detachment in demeanor.

Emotional Distance

'Steely' can suggest a presence or behavior that feels intimidating.

Intimidating Presence

Indicates hiding emotions with a controlled, 'steely' composure.

Guarded Emotion

'Steely' reflects strong psychological resilience.

Psychological Fortitude

Use 'steely' to describe someone's intense, unwavering focus on a goal.

Unwavering Focus

'Steely' often implies consistent, enduring effort towards something.

Consistent Effort

 With their steely navigational skills, advanced long-ships and fearsome tactics, the Vikings sustained their seafaring for over three hundred years. But for all their might, they left few monuments. Instead, fragments of stone, bark, and bone provide the keys to their culture.

The secret messages of...

 It was very important for us to get through to the people. And through the children is usually the way to go. They are fascinated with snakes. They haven't got that steely thing that you end up