WordGarden.ioseep
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /sˈiːp/
US
- /ˈsip/
Meanings
Verb
to pass or let liquid pass slowly through small openings or porous material
to spread or enter gradually and almost unnoticed
Noun
a place where water, oil, gas, or another substance slowly comes out, especially from the ground
Beyond the definition
Imagine water slowly soaking into the ground after rain. That is the feeling of seep. It describes liquid or gas moving little by little through small openings or through something that is not fully solid. Water might seep through a wall, or oil might seep from an old engine. It is not fast or sudden. It happens slowly and quietly.
The word is also often used in a figurative way. A secret might seep out during a conversation, or sadness might seep into your heart after bad news. In both cases, the change is gradual. It comes in bit by bit, as if it is finding its way through tiny cracks.
To seep means to pass slowly through small openings or through a material that lets liquid or gas move through it. It is a gentle, gradual process, unlike pouring or flooding, which happen quickly and with more force. For example, if water begins to seep into a basement after heavy rain, the idea is that it is coming in little by little, not all at once.
The word often describes liquids such as water or oil, and sometimes gas. You might talk about water seeping through soil, oil seeping from a machine, or gas seeping through a crack. In all of these examples, something moves slowly through a space that is small or hard to notice.
It is also common in figurative English. Feelings, ideas, or information can seep in or seep out. Fear can seep into a story and slowly change its mood. Doubt can seep into your mind over time. Information can seep out when people slowly begin to share something that was meant to stay private.
So the core idea is always the same: something enters, escapes, or spreads slowly and quietly. Whether it is rainwater moving through earth, oil coming out of an engine, or worry slowly filling someone's thoughts, seep suggests a steady movement that is hard to stop and easy to miss at first.
Examples
- 1
Basement leak
Water seeped through the basement wall after the heavy rain.
- 2
Lingering smell
The smell of garlic seeped into the curtains.
- 3
Morning light
A little light seeped through the blinds at sunrise.
- 4
Emotional tone
His frustration started to seep into his voice.
- Patternseep into + something
slowly start to affect it
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Information leak
Details of the plan began to seep out after the meeting.
- Phraseseep out
become known little by little
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- seepverb
Forms
- seeping-ing formverb
- seepsverb
- seepedpast tenseverb