steep1
- 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.
- a steep place; declivity, as of a hill.
Origin of steep1
Examples from the Web for steepness
Historical Examples
On its northern side, the steepness of the hill formed the only defence.'
Devon, Its Moorlands, Streams and CoastsRosalind Northcote
The weather was rough, and the height and steepness discouraged us.
A Journey to the Western Isles of ScotlandSamuel Johnson
The steepness of the precipice was guard enough near the town.
Canada: the Empire of the NorthAgnes C. Laut
The steepness of the declivity made it necessary for Orso to dismount.
ColumbaProsper Merimee
He would doubtless have run had it not been for the steepness of the earlier ascents.
Godfrey MorganJules Verne
steep1
- 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
Word Origin
steep2
- 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
- an instance or the process of steeping or the condition of being steeped
- a liquid or solution used for the purpose of steeping something
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for steepness
steep
adj.
"having a sharp slope," Old English steap "high, lofty," from Proto-Germanic *staupaz (cf. Old Frisian stap, Middle High German *stouf), from PIE *steup- "to push, stick, knock, beat," with derivations referring to projecting objects (cf. Greek typtein "to strike," typos "a blow, mold, die;" Sanskrit tup- "harm," tundate "pushes, stabs;" Gothic stautan "push;" Old Norse stuttr "short"). The sense of "precipitous" is from c.1200. The slang sense "at a high price" is a U.S. coinage first attested 1856. Related: Steeply; steepness.
steep
v.
"to soak in a liquid," late 14c., of uncertain origin, originally in reference to barley or malt, probably cognate with Old Norse steypa "to pour out, throw" (or an unrecorded Old English cognate), from Proto-Germanic *staupijanan. Related: Steeped; steeping.