What does "steep" mean?
The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity.
Steep
/stiːp/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity.
- Grammar: steep is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: a bit much, abandoned, abrupt, abrupt turn.
- Useful contrasts: affordable, cheap, dehydrate.
- Usage evidence: The staircase leading to the rooftop is narrow, steep, and dark.
How to use "steep"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "steep" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "steep" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "steep" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "steep" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "steep" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a bit much" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "steep", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity.
"It ended precipitously in a dark and narrow ravine, formed on the other side by an opposite mountain, the lofty steep of which was crested by a city gently rising on a gradual slope"
- 2 A liquid used in a steeping process countable, uncountable
"Corn steep has many industrial uses."
- 3 a steep place (as on a hill) wordnet
- 4 A rennet bag. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To soak or wet thoroughly. transitive
"They steep skins in a tanning solution to create leather."
- 2 let sit in a liquid to extract a flavor or to cleanse wordnet
- 3 To imbue with something; to be deeply immersed in. figuratively, intransitive
"a town steeped in history"
- 4 devote (oneself) fully to wordnet
- 5 To make tea (or other beverage) by placing leaves in hot water.
Adjective
- 1 Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.
"a steep hill or mountain; a steep roof; a steep ascent; a steep barometric gradient"
- 2 Expensive. informal
"Twenty quid for a shave? That's a bit steep."
- 3 Difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high. obsolete
"Her ears and thoughts in steep amaze erected"
- 4 resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular.
"The steep rake of the windshield enhances the fast lines of the exterior."
Adjective
- 1 having a sharp inclination wordnet
- 2 of a slope; set at a high angle wordnet
- 3 greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The staircase leading to the rooftop is narrow, steep, and dark."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "steep"?
Common synonyms include: a bit much, abandoned, abrupt, abrupt turn, absorb, abstruse.
How do you use "steep" in a sentence?
The staircase leading to the rooftop is narrow, steep, and dark.
How do you pronounce "steep"?
Pronounced /stiːp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English steep, from Old English stēap (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, stick”). Compare Old Frisian stāp ("high, towering"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)), Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”), Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”), Middle High German stief (“steep”)). The Proto-Indo-European root (and related) has many and varied descendants, including English stub; compare also Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”). The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested US 1856.
Etymology 2
From Middle English stepen, from Old Norse steypa (“to make stoop, cast down, pour out, cast (metal)”), from Proto-Germanic *staupijaną (“to tumble, make tumble, plunge”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, hit”). Cognate with Danish støbe (“cast (metal)”), Norwegian støpe, støype, Swedish stöpa (“to found, cast (metal)”), Old English stūpian (“to stoop, bend the back, slope”). Related to stoop.