steep
1having 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.
a steep place; declivity, as of a hill.
Origin of steep
1Other words from steep
- steeply, adverb
- steepness, noun
Other definitions for steep (2 of 2)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Origin of steep
2Other words for steep
Other words from steep
- steep·er, noun
- un·steeped, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use steep in a sentence
In Virginia, Ankida Ridge Vineyards produced its second nouveau from young gamay vines planted on the steep Blue Ridge slopes northwest of Amherst.
We deserve ‘nouveau’ wine in 2020 — a vintage meant to be fun and drunk right away | Dave McIntyre | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostIn the same period of 2020 Wish lost a far steeper $176 million.
Wish files to go public with 100M monthly actives, $1.75B in 2020 revenue thus far | Alex Wilhelm | November 20, 2020 | TechCrunchYou won’t find the same steep terrain as nearby Taos Ski Valley—most of it is more intermediate than advanced—but the snow quality can be just as good.
10 Ski Areas Where You Can Camp in the Parking Lot | Megan Michelson | November 20, 2020 | Outside OnlineState and local governments nationwide are facing steep budget deficits as a result of decreased tax revenues.
Cities Are Falling Short on Coastal Access – and Short-Term Rentals Could Help | Philip King and Sarah Jenkins | November 16, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoMeasles has come back with a vengeance around the world in recent years, wiping out steep declines in cases seen since the start of the new century.
Measles has come back with a vengeance in the last several years | Aimee Cunningham | November 13, 2020 | Science News
“There is such a vein of intelligence and deeply steeped expertise among them,” he says.
William, Kate, and Jay Z’s Favorite Art Star: Alexander Gilkes' World of Rock Stars and Royalty | Tim Teeman | December 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTo public health experts steeped in the topic, the conclusion was no surprise.
They May Sound Like a Good Idea, But Travel Bans for Ebola Won’t Work | Abby Haglage | October 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOsama bin Laden was steeped in Wahhabism, as are many Sunni Jidahists in Iraq and Syria today, such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
To Beat ISIS, the Arab World Must Promote Political and Religious Reforms | Rula Jebreal | September 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn June, a source close to the hiring process told me, “they want somebody who has been steeped in that political warfare.”
Uber Hires Ex-Obama Campaign Manager to Help Fight 'Big Taxi Cartel' | Olivia Nuzzi | August 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA source close to the hiring process told me, “They want somebody who has been steeped in that political warfare.”
A simple errand and promenade,--and yet she felt herself to be steeped in the romance of an adventure!
Hilda Lessways | Arnold BennettHe steeped himself in the long, long silence in which an earlier day lay listening with ears of stone.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodScotland is above all things full of practical common sense, but it is steeped to the brim in poetry.
Friend Mac Donald | Max O'RellEverybody but the dynamo-watch lay steeped in sleep; there was no sound.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)The Bourg is empty and dark, steeped in black shadows at the door of the chapel where the relic has been laid to rest.
Belgium | George W. T. (George William Thomson) Omond
British Dictionary definitions for steep (1 of 2)
/ (stiːp) /
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
British informal (of a statement) extreme or far-fetched
obsolete elevated
Origin of steep
1Derived forms of steep
- steeply, adverb
- steepness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for steep (2 of 2)
/ (stiːp) /
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
an instance or the process of steeping or the condition of being steeped
a liquid or solution used for the purpose of steeping something
Origin of steep
2Derived forms of steep
- steeper, noun
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
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