Standard Lemma guide

glacial

adj · name · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɡleɪ.sɪəl/
  • UK: /ˈɡleɪ.ʃ(ɪ)əl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃəl
  • CMU ARPABET: G L EY1 SH AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, or relating to glaciers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We examined the glacial deposits.
  • Wang Shijin is a glacier expert and director of the Yulong Snow Mountain Glacial and Environmental Observation Research Station.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Very slow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Cold and icy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • After the rain and frost, the pavements were glacial.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having the appearance of ice.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • On cold days, glacial acetic acid will freeze in the bottle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Cool and unfriendly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • He gave me a glacial stare.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

name

Meaning 6

Of the Pleistocene period dominated by the presence of glaciers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A glacial period (colloquially known as an ice age).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ice age

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

relating to or derived from a glacier

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • glacial deposit

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

extremely cold

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an arctic climate
  • a frigid day
  • gelid waters of the North Atlantic
  • glacial winds
  • icy hands
  • polar weather

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arctic, frigid, gelid, icy, polar

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a frigid greeting
  • got a frosty reception
  • a frozen look on their faces
  • a glacial handshake
  • icy stare
  • wintry smile

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frigid, frosty, frozen, icy, wintry

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French glacial, from Latin glaciālis, from glaciēs (“ice”). The sense "slow" refers to the speed of actual glaciers, typically around 1 meter per day.

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ледников (lednikov) — relating to glaciers
  • Catalan: glacial — relating to glaciers
  • Czech: glaciální — relating to glaciers
  • Danish: glacial — relating to glaciers
  • German: glazial — relating to glaciers
  • Greek: παγετωνικός (pagetonikós) — relating to glaciers
  • Ido: glaciera — relating to glaciers
  • Ido: glacierala — relating to glaciers
  • Irish: oighreach — relating to glaciers
  • Manx: rioee — relating to glaciers
  • Norwegian Bokmål: glasial — relating to glaciers
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: glasial — relating to glaciers
  • Polish: lodowcowy — relating to glaciers
  • Polish: glacjalny — relating to glaciers
  • Russian: леднико́вый (lednikóvyj) — relating to glaciers
  • Spanish: glaciar — relating to glaciers
  • Ukrainian: льодовико́вий (lʹodovykóvyj) — relating to glaciers
  • Bulgarian: леден (leden) — cold and icy
  • Catalan: glacial — cold and icy
  • Czech: glaciální — cold and icy
  • Finnish: hyinen — cold and icy
  • Finnish: jäinen — cold and icy
  • Finnish: jäätävä — cold and icy
  • Finnish: jääkylmä — cold and icy
  • French: glacial — cold and icy
  • German: eisig — cold and icy
  • German: eiskalt — cold and icy
  • Ido: glacia — cold and icy
  • Ido: glaciala — cold and icy
  • Ido: glaciatra — cold and icy
  • Spanish: glacial — cold and icy
  • Spanish: gélido — cold and icy
  • Bulgarian: ле́дников перио́д (lédnikov periód) — glacial period
  • Danish: glacialtid — glacial period
  • Danish: istid — glacial period
  • German: Kaltzeit — glacial period
  • German: Eiszeit — glacial period
  • German: Glazial — glacial period
  • Spanish: glaciación — glacial period
  • Spanish: era glacial — glacial period
Real reading context

glacial in complete knowledge articles

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