steep

adjective

/stiːp/

(comparative steeper, superlative steepest)

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(of a slope, hill, etc.) rising or falling quickly, not gradually
- a steep hill/slope
- a steep climb/descent/drop
- a steep flight of stairs
- The path grew steeper as we climbed higher.
- The steep banks of the river are largely tree-covered.
Topics Geographyb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- look
- seem
- …
adverb
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
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[usually before noun] (of a rise or fall in an amount) sudden and very big synonym sharp
- a steep decline in the birth rate
- a steep rise in unemployment
- Setting up a new business is risky and involves a steep learning curve.
(informal) (of a price or demand) too much; unreasonable synonym expensive
- £4 for a cup of coffee seems a little steep to me.
- He wants to move in here with us? That’s a bit steep!

Word Originadjective Old English stēap ‘extending to a great height’, of West Germanic origin; related to steeple and the verb stoop.

verb

/stiːp/

[transitive, intransitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they steep	/stiːp/ /stiːp/
he / she / it steeps	/stiːps/ /stiːps/
past simple steeped	/stiːpt/ /stiːpt/
past participle steeped	/stiːpt/ /stiːpt/
-ing form steeping	/ˈstiːpɪŋ/ /ˈstiːpɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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if you steep food in a liquid or leave it to steep, you put it in the liquid and leave it for some time so that it becomes soft and takes in the taste of the liquid
- steep something (in something) Steep the fruit in brandy overnight.
- steep (in something) Black teas need to steep for three minutes.
Word Originverb Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to stoup.

Idioms

be steeped in something