seep

American  

[seep] / sip /

verb (used without object)

• seeps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• seeped,
  past participle,  past
• seeping
  present participle

1. to pass, flow, or ooze gradually through a porous substance.

   Water seeps through cracks in the wall.

2. (of ideas, methods, etc.) to enter or be introduced at a slow pace.

   The new ideas finally seeped down to the lower echelons.

3. to become diffused; permeate.

   Fog seeped through the trees, obliterating everything.

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verb (used with object)

• seeps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• seeped,
  past participle,  past
• seeping
  present participle

1. to cause to seep; filter.

   The vodka is seeped through charcoal to purify it.

noun

1. moisture that seeps out; seepage.

2. a small spring, pool, or other place where liquid from the ground has oozed to the surface of the earth.

seep British  

/ siːp /

verb

1. (intr) to pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings; ooze

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noun

1. a small spring or place where water, oil, etc, has oozed through the ground

2. another word for seepage

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• seeping
  present
• seeped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• seep
  simple
• seeps
  simple
• have seeped
  perfect
• has seeped
  perfect
• am seeping
  progressive
• are seeping
  progressive
• is seeping
  progressive
• have been seeping
  perfect progressive
• has been seeping
  perfect progressive

Past

• seeped
  simple
• had seeped
  perfect
• was seeping
  progressive
• were seeping
  progressive
• had been seeping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will seep
  simple
• will have seeped
  perfect
• will be seeping
  progressive
• will have been seeping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of seep

1780–90; perhaps variant of dial. sipe, itself perhaps continuing Old English sīpian (cognate with Middle Low German sīpen )

Explanation

Seep means to leak slowly. When you see the word, imagine water coming in through your sneakers on a rainy day. It's not a lot of water, but your feet still get pretty wet. The word seep is related to the Dutch word for ooze. Oil seeps from the earth and blood seeps from a wound. Seep falls somewhere between gush and drip on a scale of how liquid flows and suggests a liquid that is thick, and unwanted. In the figurative sense, some things that seep, like bad thoughts that seep into your mind, are also unwanted. But sometimes you wish that the flow would increase like when financial aid only seeps into a disaster zone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seep seeps seeped seeping

But I wanted the miso butter to seep into the bread, not merely sit on top of it.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

At the same time, groundwater and rainwater that seep underground must be collected and pumped back to the surface.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

The internet reshaped the foundations of business, work and global competition but needed 10 to 15 years to seep into the bones of the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

The effects of wildfires, which fundamentally alter the lives of survivors, can seep into nearly every aspect of daily life.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

At once, I release the splendor as it erupts, thundering loudly before it separates from me and my blade to seep back into the earth.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Turning the corner of the 15th floor corridor of the historic American Cement Building, a low thrum of electronic sounds seeps through the door of Archived, an L.A. luxury vintage curator.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026

Potholes form when water seeps into small cracks in the road surface, usually caused by traffic.

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026

Oozing slop seeps into the fractures of our separate realities, pushing our divisions further apart as digital deepfakes imitate life in ways that are increasingly difficult to detect.

From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2026

Hydrothermal vents and methane seeps typically appear in separate locations on the seafloor.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 26, 2025

It seeps up the stairs from the ballroom, in loud and soft bursts as the men’s room door opens and closes with traffic.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

According to one estimate, 2.7 million tonnes of microplastics seeped into the environment in 2020, an estimate expected to double by 2040.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The Cornell team’s legend has seeped into SpaceX, in part through the trio of executives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Recently, the concept of maxxing has seeped into the lifestyle and nutrition spaces.

From Salon ● May 7, 2026

That has really seeped into the way that I do business.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

Light seeped through the cracks in the floorboards, pooling around the tables, washing against the walls of the tavern until even the dangling ropes were soaked with gold.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Seal up air leaks: Inexpensive weatherstripping and caulking around leaky doors and windows stop hot air from seeping in and forcing your AC to run longer.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

There’s the grief, seeping into Maxine’s life and twisting itself around the gratitude, tightening its grip.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

In 1928, the initial discovery of the rock art was dismissed as "red oxide mineral seeping through the rock and not prehistoric art", the Guardian reported at the time.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Still, it’s worth watching airfares and delivery service price data on Friday for early signs of higher oil prices seeping through to the broader economy.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

Ophie took a half step toward the staircase, wariness seeping into her bones.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• bleed
• drain
• flow
• ooze
• percolate
• permeate
• soak
• trickle