steep

[ steep ]

/ stip /

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See synonyms for: steep / steeped / steeper / steepness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, steep·er, steep·est.

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

a steep place; declivity, as of a hill.

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Origin of steep

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective step(e), steppe, Old English stēap “lofty, towering”; akin to stoop¹

OTHER WORDS FROM steep

steeply, adverbsteepness, noun

Words nearby steep

steely, steelyard, Steen, steenbok, steenbras, steep, steepen, steeple, steeplebush, steeplechase, steeplechaser

Other definitions for steep (2 of 2)

steep²

[ steep ]

/ stip /

verb (used with object)

to soak in water or other liquid, as to soften, cleanse, or extract some constituent: to steep tea in boiling hot water;to steep reeds for basket weaving.

to wet thoroughly in or with a liquid; drench; saturate; imbue.

to immerse in or saturate or imbue with some pervading, absorbing, or stupefying influence or agency: an incident steeped in mystery.

verb (used without object)

to lie soaking in a liquid.

noun

the act or process of steeping or the state of being steeped.

a liquid in which something is steeped.

OTHER WORDS FOR steep

1 infuse.

2 permeate.

3 imbue, infuse.

See synonyms for steep on Thesaurus.com

Origin of steep

First recorded in1350–1400; Middle English verb stepen; further origin obscure; compare Old Icelandic steypa “to throw down, pour out,” Swedish stöpa “to cast”

OTHER WORDS FROM steep

steeper, nounun·steeped, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use steep in a sentence

They have placed the work in a way that allows visitors to steep themselves in the outdoors and to respond, without feeling herded or driven, to the moods of forest and hill, snow and sunlight.
Sculpture parks are a great way to see art during a pandemic. Here’s why some are better than others.|Sebastian Smee|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The angle on the way down is so steep, you brace yourself on the seat in front of you as if you’re doing a push-up.
The Strange Allure of a Flight to Nowhere (and Other Places We're Desperate to Go)|Susanna Schrobsdorff|February 7, 2021|Time
The Rafferty Lift takes me to the resort’s main intermediate area, but the runs back to the bottom are steeper than any advanced run I’ve seen before.
Small ski areas, big impact|Dina Mishev|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Once you reach adulthood, you typically start losing about one percent of your strength per year, with a steeper decline in your 60s and beyond.
The Data Behind a Once-a-Week Strength Routine|Alex Hutchinson|February 2, 2021|Outside Online

She pushed Nicholas Gross to set steep goals, but she also encouraged him to prioritize others before himself.
A sick mother, a loving son, a signed Ovechkin jersey — and how the Caps tried to help|Kyle Melnick|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
Rising up from scooping bay, the steep topography—hemmed by hills of evergreens—promises panoramas at practically every turn.
Next Stop, Quito: Our Top Cities for 2015|Brandon Presser|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But just up the steep river bank and through the brush is an opening.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Sierra Leone, the WHO report reads, “steep increases persist.”
Jail Threats for Sierra Leone Ebola Victims’ Families|Abby Haglage|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sure, some churches are expanding, but overall, your way of life is in steep decline.
Dear Evangelicals: You’re Being Had|Jay Michaelson|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We gazed on a residential area of box-like homes stacked on top of one another on a steep hillside.
Mass Murder in the Holy City|Michael Tomasky|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My station was on the right of the line, where the breastwork, ending in a redoubt, was steep and high.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
At the foot of the pass, the valley widened a little, though still with steep, snow-capped cliffs crowding it on either side.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
The tower has four clock faces, pinnacles at the angles, and a steep slate roof and is 120 feet high.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
On the state-coach went, down the steep, driving the mules madly before it.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
The others kept on, climbed the short, steep bank, and passed from sight over its rim.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for steep (1 of 2)

steep¹

/ (stiːp) /

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 ambitiousa steep task

British informal (of a statement) extreme or far-fetched

obsolete elevated

Derived forms of steep

steeply, adverbsteepness, noun

Word Origin for steep

Old English steap; related to Old Frisian stāp, Old High German stouf cliff, Old Norse staup

British Dictionary definitions for steep (2 of 2)

steep²

/ (stiːp) /

verb

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

(tr; usually passive) to saturate; imbuesteeped 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

Derived forms of steep

steeper, noun

Word Origin for steep

Old English stēpan; related to steap vessel, cup, Old High German stouf, Old Norse staup, Middle Dutch stōp

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

steep

Origin of steep

OTHER WORDS FROM steep

Words nearby steep

Other definitions for steep (2 of 2)

OTHER WORDS FOR steep

Origin of steep

OTHER WORDS FROM steep

Words related to steep

How to use steep in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for steep (1 of 2)

Derived forms of steep

Word Origin for steep

British Dictionary definitions for steep (2 of 2)

Derived forms of steep

Word Origin for steep