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, as to soften, cleanse, or extract some constituent: to steep tea in boiling hot water;to steep reeds for basket weaving.
to immerse in or saturate or imbue with some pervading, absorbing, or stupefying influence or agency: an incident steeped in mystery.
to lie soaking in a liquid.
the act or process of steeping or the state of being steeped.
a liquid in which something is steeped.
Origin of steep
2Other words for steep
Other words from steep
- steeper, noun
- un·steeped, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use steep in a sentence
It’s a moderately difficult six-mile trail to the top and back, and we’ve just arrived at the final stretch, where the ascent gets steep.
You should train your body to complete a steep 20-odd-mile hike with a heavy pack.
It’s a laughably easy place to work while still maintaining a steep, upward trajectory.
In a time when consensus can seem elusive, county residents are largely in agreement that steep housing costs and homelessness crisis are among the region’s foremost problems.
Morning Report: Residents Gravely Concerned About Housing | Voice of San Diego | October 30, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoThat amounts to 14 million square feet in office space losses, the steepest decline since 2009, according to the report.
With offices closed, WeWork and other coworking spaces jump on market opportunity | Alyssa Newcomb | October 24, 2020 | Fortune
After steeping in this environment for a year, Sontag became the high priestess of French avant-garde culture.
Must Reads: Kennedy, Sontag and Paris, ‘A Partial History of Lost Causes,’ ‘City of Bohane,’ ‘Flatscreen’ | Lauren Elkin, Mythili Rao, Drew Toal, Nicholas Mancusi | April 6, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTAll you need to do is shake up the steeping grounds a few hours in.
That made the scandal that had been brewing and steeping and simmering for months all the bigger when finally it came to a boil.
The Escape of Mr. Trimm | Irvin S. CobbIt is called samourah, and the pulp inside is easily extracted, by steeping it for a few days in water.
Wanderings in South America | Charles WatertonHe regained the service-room to find Brand steeping the remains of his biscuit in an almost empty cup.
The Pillar of Light | Louis TracyBut is not a thing called hard that cannot be ground thin; white, if steeping will not turn it black?
The Sayings Of Confucius | ConfuciusAfterwards the skin is dressed, by rubbing it with lime and salt, and steeping it in the waters of the Dead Sea.
Bible Animals; | J. G. Wood
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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