steep

¹ American  

[steep] / stip /

adjective

steeper, steepest

1. having an almost vertical slope or pitch, or a relatively high gradient, as a hill, an ascent, stairs, etc.

2. (of a price or amount) unduly high; exorbitant.

   Those prices are too steep for me.

3. extreme or incredible, as a statement or story.

4. high or lofty.

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noun

1. a steep place; declivity, as of a hill.

steep ² American  

[steep] / stip /

verb (used with object)

steeps, present (3rd person singular) steeped, past participle, past steeping present participle

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

   Synonyms:

   infuse, imbue

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verb (used without object)

steeps, present (3rd person singular) steeped, past participle, past steeping present participle

1. to sit soaking in water or other liquid for softening, cleansing, the extraction of a flavor or particular ingredient, etc..

   Your tea is steeping.

   Let the raisins steep for a few days, allowing their natural sweetness to infuse the alcohol.

noun

1. 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.

2. a liquid in which something is steeped.

   Remove the flax from the steep after five to seven days of soaking.

idioms

1. steeped in, immersed in a particular kind of experience or area of learning, filled or saturated with a particular quality, etc..

   Cities like Rome or Florence are steeped in tradition and history, yet still vibrate with the life of a modern city.

   As a former congressman and ambassador, he was steeped in diplomacy, and often consulted as a mediator.

steep ¹ British  

/ stiːp /

adjective

1. 1. having or being a slope or gradient approaching the perpendicular

   2. ( as noun )

      the steep

2. informal (of a fee, price, demand, etc) unduly high; unreasonable (esp in the phrase that's a bit steep )

3. informal excessively demanding or ambitious

   a steep task

4. informal (of a statement) extreme or far-fetched

5. obsolete elevated

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steep ² British  

/ stiːp /

verb

1. to soak or be soaked in a liquid in order to soften, cleanse, extract an element, etc

2. (tr; usually passive) to saturate; imbue

   steeped in ideology

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noun

1. an instance or the process of steeping or the condition of being steeped

2. a liquid or solution used for the purpose of steeping something

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• steepness
  noun
• steeply
  adverb
• unsteeped
  adjective
• steeper
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has steeped
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have steeped
  perfect
• has been steeping
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am steeping
  progressive 1st person singular
• steeping
  participle
• have been steeping
  perfect progressive
• are steeping
  progressive
• steeps
  singular 3rd person
• is steeping
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had steeped
  perfect
• had been steeping
  perfect progressive
• was steeping
  progressive singular
• steeped
  simple
• were steeping
  progressive plural
• steeped
  participle

Future

• will steep
  simple
• will have steeped
  perfect
• will be steeping
  progressive
• will have been steeping
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

Steep memory price hikes are hurting sales of all kinds of consumer electronics, nowhere more so than in PCs.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Steep drawdowns in recent weeks from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the federal government’s emergency supply of crude oil, have rattled some economists and investors.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Steep fertilizer costs and low soybean prices have made it hard to make ends meet this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

And, unlike the other teahouses that have popped up recently in Los Angeles, Steep serves alcohol.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

Steep red-rock cliffs rose on both sides of the canyon.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• bathe
• drench
• imbue
• immerse
• infuse
• ingrain
• marinate
• permeate
• saturate
• soak
• submerge
• suffuse