steep

1 of 4

adjective

1
: lofty, high
used chiefly of a sea
2
: making a large angle with the plane of the horizon
3
a
: mounting or falling precipitously
the stairs were very steep
b
: being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase
4
: extremely or excessively high
steep prices
steepish adjective
steeply adverb
steepness noun

steep

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a precipitous place

steep

3 of 4

verb

steeped; steeping; steeps

transitive verb

1
: to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence)
2
: to cover with or plunge into a liquid (as in bathing, rinsing, or soaking)
3
: to saturate with or subject thoroughly to (some strong or pervading influence)
practices steeped in tradition

intransitive verb

: to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid
steeper noun

steep

4 of 4

noun (2)

1
: the state or process of being steeped
2
: a bath or solution in which something is steeped
Choose the Right Synonym for steep

Adjective

steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular.

steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill
a steep dive

abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

Verb

soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate mean to permeate or be permeated with a liquid.

soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Examples of steep in a Sentence

Adjective The stairs are very steep. a steep drop in prices The store's prices are too steep for me. Their rates are pretty steep. Verb Steep the tea for three minutes. The tea steeped for five minutes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Israel’s military campaign into Gaza, waged in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli civilians, has drawn outcry from progressives over its steep humanitarian toll. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 The gadget claimed to be able to call 16 different people, provide home security, understand four different languages, and turn on electronics using voice commands–all for a steep price tag of $1,495 (or about $4,100 in today’s money). Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 And if that sounds steep, a $25 admission fee buys access to Lupita Nyong’o’s 2014 best supporting actress envelope. Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 The rails there are near sea level, traveling along the beach below steep, unstable bluffs topped by development. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 The integrity of the mail Part of the reason that Gray is facing such a steep penalty is that he was prosecuted federally. The Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2024 For all its potential advantages, BYD hasn’t made it to the United States yet, stymied in part by a steep 25 percent tariff on Chinese cars first enacted by the Trump administration. IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2024 So far, the U.S. economy has managed to avoid a steep downturn. David Gura, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 The turns were increased from 24 degrees of banking to 28 degrees, which made Atlanta the steepest intermediate track on NASCAR’s schedule. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
Advertisement Non-resident fees, now $155 for juniors, were a little steep for the daughter of P.E. teachers. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023 The campaign allegedly requested five billion dollars, a little steep for even Bankman-Fried. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2023 Besides requiring Danish fluency, the school has a steep (for European film schools) tuition fee of about 20,000 euros ($22,000) per semester for non-EU residents and only admits one or two international students a year. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Aug. 2023 Let the tea steep for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2023 The steep inclines could send it rushing down into streams and rivers, which can rise quickly with little warning and then overwhelm any flood protection. Jennifer Gray, CNN, 10 July 2023 But hurry, discounts this steep are sure to sell out fast. Bridget Degnan, Peoplemag, 11 July 2023 Pour 1 cup of boiling water and let the herbal tea steep for 10 minutes. Diane Hoffmaster, Treehugger, 22 June 2023 Not one who passed through the bustling north entrance of Chino Hills State Park dared to veer from Bane Canyon Road to go up the dirt path on the left side, the one snaking up the ridgeline at an incline steep enough that the trail eventually disappeared from view. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2021
Verb
The lyrics immediately steep the listener in the notion of complicity, which has been a major theme for the people decrying President Joe Biden sending American tax dollars to the IDF’s fight, which has claimed over 30,000 lives as of early March. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 Brown recommends steeping cold-brew tea in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then consuming it within a day or two to avoid possibly exposing yourself to bacteria growth. Becky Krystal, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The second drink was Sangria por Sangria, a mix of sake, prickly pear brandy, grapefruit juice, simple syrup and cap corse rouge steeped with a house spice blend and topped with tepache. The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 On one end was a shampoo basin, at the other a foot bath, filled with warm water steeped with Chinese herbs. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Part of the bloat stems from Fielder's penchant for luxuriating in moments of awkwardness, steeping the viewer in their own discomfort long after most shows — even most cringe comedies — would have mercifully cut away. EW.com, 6 Nov. 2023 Here, the sepals of the deep pink flowers are steeped with soul-warming spices and sugar to make a heady, floral beverage. Saveur Editors, Saveur, 14 Feb. 2024 This Stanley 12-ounce Stainless Steel Classic Legendary Mug is perfect for keeping my latte steeping hot. Megan Schaltegger, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2024 But the report also noted that Biden was an official steeped with knowledge of how classified materials should be stored. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English stepe, from Old English stēap high, steep, deep; akin to Old Frisian stāp steep, Middle High German stief — more at stoop

Verb

Middle English stepen

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steep was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near steep

Cite this Entry

“Steep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steep. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

steep

1 of 3 adjective
1
: having a very sharp slope : almost straight up-and-down
2
: being or characterized by a very rapid decline or increase
3
: too great or high
steep prices
steeply adverb

steep

2 of 3 noun
: a sharply sloping place

steep

3 of 3 verb
1
a
: to soak in liquid (as for drawing out a flavor) at a temperature under the boiling point
steep tea
b
: to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid
2
: to fill with or involve deeply
steeped in learning

More from Merriam-Webster on steep

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