MEANING
To make oneself resolute enough to face something painful, frightening, or unwelcome.
Use it for
acting despite fear; deliberate emotional resolveShow courage as an effort rather than an absence of fear.
Words that belong together
- steel yourself for
- steel your nerves
- steel yourself to speak
On the page
She steeled herself before looking into the damaged car.
He had to steel his nerves to make the call.
I steeled myself for her anger and told her what I had seen.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- steel / steels
- Past tense
- steeled
- Past participle
- steeled
- Present participle
- steeling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- steel / steels
- Present continuous
- am/is/are steeling
- Present perfect
- have/has steeled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been steeling
- Past
- steeled
- Past continuous
- was/were steeling
- Past perfect
- had steeled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been steeling
- Future
- will steel / steels
- Future continuous
- will be steeling
- Future perfect
- will have steeled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been steeling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Usually steel yourself or steel your nerves; intentional strengthening of resolve, not removal of emotion. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): steel, steels, steeled, steeled, steeling.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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