VocabauraVOCABAURA

steep

adjective · verb · noun

Simple meaning

Of a near-vertical gradient.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

steep
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈstip

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.

  2. informal

    Expensive.

verb

  1. transitivemiddle voice

    To soak or wet thoroughly.

  2. To make tea (or other beverage) by placing leaves in hot water.

  3. intransitivefigurative

    To imbue with something; to be deeply immersed in.

noun

  1. A rennet bag.

  2. A steep place (as on a hill)

  3. The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity.

  4. A liquid used in a steeping process

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.

Used this way, steep is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use steep

  • “The steep attic stairs.”adjective

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “steep”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Steep

steep hillsteep mountain

Near

steep ascent

Other combinations

steep slopesteep bankless steepsteep pathsteep cliffs

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • steepernounInflected form

    A vessel (usually a pot or vat) used for steeping.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • steeplyadverbDerived adverb

    In a steep manner.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

adjective

Sense: of a near-vertical gradient

sheerperpendicular

verb

Sense: to soak or wet thoroughly

infusesharpArchaicboldInformalsheerabsorbabruptArchaicimmerseengulf

Antonyms

Sense: of a near-vertical gradient

gradual

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “steep” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.