depth

[depth]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR depth ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a dimension taken through an object or body of material, usually downward from an upper surface, horizontally inward from an outer surface, or from top to bottom of something regarded as one of several layers.

the quality of being deep; deepness.

complexity or obscurity, as of a subject: a question of great depth.

gravity; seriousness.

emotional profundity: the depth of someone's feelings.

intensity, as of silence, color, etc.

lowness of tonal pitch: the depth of a voice.

the amount of knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, insight, feeling, etc., present in a person's mind or evident either in some product of the mind, as a learned paper, argument, work of art, etc., or in the person's behavior.

a high degree of such knowledge, insight, etc.

Often depths. a deep part or place: from the depths of the ocean.

an unfathomable space; abyss: the depth of time.

Sometimes depths. the farthest, innermost, or extreme part or state: the depth of space; the depths of the forest; the depths of despair.

Usually depths. a low intellectual or moral condition: How could he sink to such depths?

the part of greatest intensity, as of night or winter.

Sports. the strength of a team in terms of the number and quality of its substitute players: With no depth in the infield, an injury to any of the regulars would be costly.

Idioms

in depth, extensively or thoroughly: Make a survey in depth of the conditions.

out of/beyond one's depth,

in water deeper than one's height or too deep for one's safety.
beyond one's knowledge or capability: The child is being taught subjects that are beyond his depth.

Origin of depth

1350–1400; Middle English depthe, equivalent to dep (Old English dēop deep) + -the -th¹

Related formsdepth·less, adjective

Antonyms for depth

2. shallowness. 9. superficiality.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for depth

intensity, extent, bottom, acumen, intelligence, intellect, sense, measurement, drop, measure, expanse, base, draft, remoteness, pitch, declination, profoundness, pit, profundity, deepness

Examples from the Web for depth

Contemporary Examples of depth

My trip takes the reverse path, and I begin by assessing the depth of my Shakespeare knowledge in his birthplace.
Biking With the Bard
Kara Cutruzzula
December 28, 2014
Zoe Saldana has also recently praised sci-fi movies for the depth and breadth of women in its ensembles.
Science-Fiction TV Finds a New Muse: Feminism
David Levesley
November 29, 2014
The depth of rage, animus and violence that was directed at him—“Spittle flying, the N word flying”—continues to astound him.
NPR’s Smooth-Talking Millennial Whisperer
Batya Ungar-Sargon
October 7, 2014
George was in his element at those times, and the depth of his knowledge amazed me.
When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and More
Gary Wright
September 29, 2014
So for me, it was just about showing the level of depth and capacity for that kind of violence.
Inside 'Sons of Anarchy's' Final Season: Creator Kurt Sutter on the Most Brutal Season Yet
Annaliza Savage
September 10, 2014

Historical Examples of depth

She said it, as if guided by an instinct, to sound the depth of his love for her.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
You who knew her will realize the depth and extent of my bereavement.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
Dick spoke at once, with a hesitancy that betrayed the depth of his emotion.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
There could be no doubt concerning the depth of the lad's love for the girl.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
The depth of immersion is regulated by fixing the crank-pin.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 447, July 26, 1884
Various

British Dictionary definitions for depth

depth

noun

the extent, measurement, or distance downwards, backwards, or inwards

the quality of being deep; deepness

intensity or profundity of emotion or feeling

profundity of moral character; penetration; sagacity; integrity

complexity or abstruseness, as of thought or objects of thought

intensity, as of silence, colour, etc

lowness of pitch

nautical the distance from the top of a ship's keel to the top of a particular deck

(often plural) a deep, far, inner, or remote part, such as an inaccessible region of a country

(often plural) the deepest, most intense, or most severe partthe depths of winter

(usually plural) a low moral state; demoralizationhow could you sink to such depths?

(often plural) a vast space or abyss

beyond one's depth or out of one's depth

in water deeper than one is tall
beyond the range of one's competence or understanding

in depth thoroughly or comprehensivelySee also in-depth

Word Origin for depth

C14: from dep deep + -th 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for depth

late 14c., apparently formed in Middle English on model of length, breadth; from Old English deop "deep" (see deep) + -th (2). Replaced older deopnes "deepness." Though the English word is relatively recent, the formation is in Proto-Germanic, *deupitho-, and corresponds to Old Saxon diupitha, Dutch diepte, Old Norse dypð, Gothic diupiþa.

depth in Medicine

depth

[dĕpth]

n.

The extent, measurement, or dimension downward, backward, or inward.

Idioms and Phrases with depth

depth

see in depth; out of one's depth.