steep
1 Americanadjective
-
having an almost vertical slope or pitch, or a relatively high gradient, as a hill, an ascent, stairs, etc.
-
(of a price or amount) unduly high; exorbitant.
Those prices are too steep for me.
-
extreme or incredible, as a statement or story.
-
high or lofty.
noun
verb (used with object)
-
to soak in water or other liquid in order to soften, cleanse, extract flavor or a particular ingredient, etc..
Pour boiling water over the mint leaves and steep them for 5 minutes.
Tapa cloth is made by steeping the thin bark of the paper mulberry tree in water and then scraping and beating it to the desired texture.
- Synonyms:
- infuse
-
to wet thoroughly in or with a liquid; drench; saturate; imbue.
She isn't the only one whose belongings have been steeped in dirty floodwater—many of her neighbors are experiencing the same.
- Synonyms:
- permeate
-
to immerse in a particular kind of experience or area of learning, fill or saturate with a particular quality, etc., over a long period.
Steep your children in the values of honesty, kindness, dependability, and determination.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the act or process of steeping or the state of being steeped (often used attributively).
For brewer’s malt, the steep takes a day or two, followed by germination and kilning.
I was only giving my cold brew about eight hours of steep time instead of the recommended 16 to 18.
-
a liquid in which something is steeped.
Remove the flax from the steep after five to seven days of soaking.
idioms
adjective
-
-
having or being a slope or gradient approaching the perpendicular
-
( as noun )
the steep
-
-
informal (of a fee, price, demand, etc) unduly high; unreasonable (esp in the phrase that's a bit steep )
-
informal excessively demanding or ambitious
a steep task
-
informal (of a statement) extreme or far-fetched
-
obsolete elevated
verb
-
to soak or be soaked in a liquid in order to soften, cleanse, extract an element, etc
-
(tr; usually passive) to saturate; imbue
steeped in ideology
noun
-
an instance or the process of steeping or the condition of being steeped
-
a liquid or solution used for the purpose of steeping something
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
steepsimple
-
steepssimple
-
have steepedperfect
-
has steepedperfect
-
am steepingprogressive
-
are steepingprogressive
-
is steepingprogressive
-
have been steepingperfect progressive
-
has been steepingperfect progressive
Past
-
steepedsimple
-
had steepedperfect
-
was steepingprogressive
-
were steepingprogressive
-
had been steepingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of steep1
First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective step(e), steppe, Old English stēap “lofty, towering”; akin to stoop 1
Origin of steep2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb stepen; further origin obscure; compare Old Icelandic steypa “to throw down, pour out,” Swedish stöpa “to cast”
Explanation
Steep means sharply angled. When hiking trails lead straight up mountainsides, they've got a steep incline. Steep also means "to soak in," as in steeping a tea bag in boiling water. You often hear steep used as an adjective to describe cliffs, hills, or even water park slides that have a perilous slope. Steep can apply to curves on a chart––you might say when someone who has a lot to learn that their learning curve is going to be steep. Steep also comes up to describe exorbitant changes in costs or spending. Everyone would love to travel more, but sometimes plane fare is too steep.
Vocabulary lists containing steep
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And even if they’ve accumulated more assets, they can face steep costs that deplete those assets quickly.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Obviously, clambering up and down the dangerously steep pass, ferrying goods on horseback or by mule or — for a few wacky, experimental months in the mid-1850s, Army camels — wasn’t workable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
The fire's remote location, steep slopes and proximity to a cliff edge created exceptionally challenging conditions for firefighters.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Investors recently have shown signs of skittishness about the steep spending on AI efforts by leading tech companies, particularly when it isn’t paired with obvious returns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
I walked down the steep staircase, wondering how he made it to the bottom in his cast.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
But "the AI buildout is climbing onto a steeper section of track just as the gap between capital spending and internal cash generation narrows", he warned.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The decline , externalhas been steeper in inner than outer London.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The 0.4-percentage-point drop in the index compared with a year earlier was steeper than that expected by economists, who had penciled in inflation of 3%, though gas prices remain elevated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Iraq game in New Jersey, fries and beers were selling for an even steeper $20 each, fans told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
The hillside path which they were following became narrower all the time and the drop on their right hand became steeper.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip firms over the past month deepening as nervous investors unwound their bets on the AI boom.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
That is the steepest single-year decline since the marketplaces opened in 2014.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
On Friday officials stated Krystal Meyers, 42, and her daughter Alexis Meyers Martinez, 21, were hiking on the Vivian Creek Trail — one of the shortest and the steepest routes to the 11,503-foot summit Mt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
The S&P Global report also indicated that input prices for factory owners rose at their steepest pace in nearly four years, fueled by higher energy and transportation costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The truck backed sturdily up Carmel Hill and it got past the Jack’s Peak road and was just going into the last and steepest pull when the motor’s breathing thickened, gulped, and strangled.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
At Lawrence’s urging, George steeps himself in the classics, such as Plutarch and Seneca.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Yet, for a university that steeps itself in its Trojan traditions, commencement had already been forced to bend with the times.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2025
As the couscous steeps in hot water, burst the cherry tomatoes in olive oil and pan-roast the spices.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2022
The Le Massif de Charlevoix ski area has 53 slopes to challenge all abilities, and Club Med’s free workshops can help you progress on bumps and steeps.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2021
“That evil soaks into the soil. Some say it steeps and gets stronger. Maybe this isn’t the place. Maybe Gloria and I should have kept going after Virginia.”
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Lai is steeped in the archaeology of the park, the Gabrielino establishment here, the Zanja Madre irrigation line that served the early pueblo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Goodwin herself is steeped in retirement-planning knowledge and feels prepared — but realizes it’s still very precarious out there for women.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
But as an early baby boomer, he grew up in a time when the nation was steeped in anti-communism.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
How could Cabot Lodge not be steeped in politics?
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Mrs. Dimblewit’s voice was steeped in cruel sarcasm.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
For one thing, it benefits from steeping in its own juices; cooking it several hours ahead of serving, even a day before, is ideal.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
Simmer the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat before turning the heat off and steeping for three minutes.
From Salon ● May 2, 2023
Starting the day by steeping yourself in Disneyland’s past can help ground you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
A mesh strainer you can set over your favorite mug and then remove after steeping is easy and cheap.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 15, 2022
She knew the flower heads would have to boil till midday and then remain steeping in their water for many hours more.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
