steep

1 of 4

adjective

ˈstēp

: lofty, high

—used chiefly of a sea

: making a large angle with the plane of the horizon

: mounting or falling precipitously

the stairs were very steep

: being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase

: extremely or excessively high

steep prices

steepish

ˈstē-pish

adjective

steeply adverb

steepness noun

steep

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a precipitous place

steep

3 of 4

verb

steeped; steeping; steeps

transitive verb

: to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence)

: to cover with or plunge into a liquid (as in bathing, rinsing, or soaking)

: to saturate with or subject thoroughly to (some strong or pervading influence)

practices steeped in tradition

intransitive verb

: to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid

steeper noun

steep

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the state or process of being steeped

: a bath or solution in which something is steeped

steep 1 of 3

adjective

as in mountainous

having an incline approaching the perpendicular a very steep rock face that is nearly impossible to climb

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

mountainous
precipitous
vertical
sloped
abrupt
sheer
perpendicular
hilly
bold
tilted
craggy
scarped
angled
plumb
straight
tipped
slanted
listed
inclined
heeled
hillocky
cocked
canted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

easy
moderate
gradual
gentle
soft
smooth
flat
level
horizontal
even
flush
plane
unruffled
unwrinkled

as in excessive

going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount we would like to hire him, but his salary demands are just too steep

Synonyms & Similar Words

excessive
extreme
insane
extravagant
exorbitant
infinite
endless
lavish
inordinate
fancy
intolerable
stiff
undue
baroque
towering
immoderate
unconscionable
unbearable
overdue
plethoric
unmerciful
overmuch
devilish
inappropriate
overextravagant
over the top
improper
overweening
unjustifiable
immeasurable
a bit much
limitless
unwarranted
boundless
unseemly
thick
unrestrained

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reasonable
moderate
modest
insufficient
inadequate
minimal
minimum
temperate
middling
deficient

steep

2 of 3

verb

as in to suffuse

to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle grew up steeped in the ways of his ancestors a town steeped in history

Synonyms & Similar Words

suffuse
flood
charge
infuse
inoculate
invest
fill
inculcate
imbue
endue
overwhelm
indue
plant
drown
ingrain
engrain
invigorate
enliven
leaven
animate
saturate
submerge
deluge
permeate
pervade
inundate
implant
instill
impregnate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deprive
take (away)
clear
remove
eliminate
strip
empty
divest

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid chew fresh ginger that has been steeped in hot water to aid digestion

Synonyms & Similar Words

soak
drown
sodden
dip
saturate
macerate
water
wash
sop
drench
submerge
immerse
souse
impregnate
swamp
damp
water-soak
waterlog
penetrate
hydrate
presoak
seethe
inundate
marinate
swill
infiltrate
permeate
bathe
dampen
moisten
humidify
douse
dowse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dry
wring (out)
drain
empty
dehydrate
sear
void
desiccate
parch
dehumidify

steep

3 of 3

noun

as in cliff

Synonyms & Similar Words

cliff
ridge
plateau
bluff
precipice
butte
tor
crag
mesa
mountain
hill
tableland
peak
mount
sierra
highland
upland
dome
knoll
prominence
elevation
sugarloaf
altitude
table
alp
foothill
rise
hump
hillock
downs
knob
eminence
mound
hummock
height

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

valley
lowland
glen
vale
depression
flat
hollow
dale
bottom
basin
plain
dell
floodplain
bottomland
tidewater
fen
dingle

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of steep are abrupt, precipitous, and sheer. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill

a steep dive

In some situations, the words abrupt and steep are roughly equivalent. However, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

While in some cases nearly identical to steep, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

Although the words sheer and steep have much in common, sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

单词	steep
释义	steep 1 of 4 adjective ˈstēp 1 : lofty, high —used chiefly of a sea 2 : making a large angle with the plane of the horizon 3 a : mounting or falling precipitously the stairs were very steep b : being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase 4 : extremely or excessively high steep prices steepish ˈstē-pish adjective steeply adverb steepness noun steep 2 of 4 noun (1) : a precipitous place steep 3 of 4 verb steeped; steeping; steeps transitive verb 1 : to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence) 2 : to cover with or plunge into a liquid (as in bathing, rinsing, or soaking) 3 : to saturate with or subject thoroughly to (some strong or pervading influence) practices steeped in tradition intransitive verb : to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid steeper noun steep 4 of 4 noun (2) 1 : the state or process of being steeped 2 : a bath or solution in which something is steeped Synonyms Adjective abrupt bold precipitous sheer Verb endue indue imbue inculcate infuse ingrain engrain inoculate invest suffuse See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective The stairs are very steep. a steep drop in prices The store's prices are too steep for me. Their rates are pretty steep. Verb Steep the tea for three minutes. The tea steeped for five minutes. See More Word History Etymology Adjective Middle English stepe, from Old English stēap high, steep, deep; akin to Old Frisian stāp steep, Middle High German stief — more at stoop Verb Middle English stepen First Known Use Adjective before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun (1) 1555, in the meaning defined above Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1 Noun (2) 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing steep steep in steep in Kids Definition steep 1 of 2 adjective ˈstēp steeper; steepest 1 : having a very sharp slope : almost straight up and down a steep hill 2 : too great or high steep prices steep 2 of 2 verb steeped; steeping 1 : to soak in a hot liquid steep tea 2 : to fill with or involve deeply The lost mine was steeped in tragedy … Jack London, The Call of the Wild steep 1 of 3 adjective 1 as in mountainous having an incline approaching the perpendicular a very steep rock face that is nearly impossible to climb Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance mountainous precipitous vertical sloped abrupt sheer perpendicular hilly bold tilted craggy scarped angled plumb straight tipped slanted listed inclined heeled hillocky cocked canted Antonyms & Near Antonyms easy moderate gradual gentle soft smooth flat level horizontal even flush plane unruffled unwrinkled See More 2 as in excessive going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount we would like to hire him, but his salary demands are just too steep Synonyms & Similar Words excessive extreme insane extravagant exorbitant infinite endless lavish inordinate fancy intolerable stiff undue baroque towering immoderate unconscionable unbearable overdue plethoric unmerciful overmuch devilish inappropriate overextravagant over the top improper overweening unjustifiable immeasurable a bit much limitless unwarranted boundless unseemly thick unrestrained Antonyms & Near Antonyms reasonable moderate modest insufficient inadequate minimal minimum temperate middling deficient See More steep 2 of 3 verb 1 as in to suffuse to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle grew up steeped in the ways of his ancestors a town steeped in history Synonyms & Similar Words suffuse flood charge infuse inoculate invest fill inculcate imbue endue overwhelm indue plant drown ingrain engrain invigorate enliven leaven animate saturate submerge deluge permeate pervade inundate implant instill impregnate Antonyms & Near Antonyms deprive take (away) clear remove eliminate strip empty divest See More 2 as in to soak to wet thoroughly with liquid chew fresh ginger that has been steeped in hot water to aid digestion Synonyms & Similar Words soak drown sodden dip saturate macerate water wash sop drench submerge immerse souse impregnate swamp damp water-soak waterlog penetrate hydrate presoak seethe inundate marinate swill infiltrate permeate bathe dampen moisten humidify douse dowse Antonyms & Near Antonyms dry wring (out) drain empty dehydrate sear void desiccate parch dehumidify See More steep 3 of 3 noun as in cliff Synonyms & Similar Words cliff ridge plateau bluff precipice butte tor crag mesa mountain hill tableland peak mount sierra highland upland dome knoll prominence elevation sugarloaf altitude table alp foothill rise hump hillock downs knob eminence mound hummock height Antonyms & Near Antonyms valley lowland glen vale depression flat hollow dale bottom basin plain dell floodplain bottomland tidewater fen dingle See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of steep are abrupt, precipitous, and sheer. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult. a steep hill a steep dive In some situations, the words abrupt and steep are roughly equivalent. However, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level. a beach with an abrupt drop-off While in some cases nearly identical to steep, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical. the river winds through a precipitous gorge Although the words sheer and steep have much in common, sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse. sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers
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steep

adjective

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing steep

Kids Definition

adjective

verb

adjective

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser