WordGarden.iosteep
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /stˈiːp/
US
- /ˈstip/
Meanings
Adjective
having a sharp upward or downward slope
very high, sudden, or severe in amount or rate
hard to manage, learn, or afford
Verb
to soak food or leaves in liquid to draw out flavor or soften them
to saturate or fill deeply, especially with an influence or tradition
Beyond the definition
Picture a hill that rises very quickly. That is the most basic idea of "steep." From there, the word spreads into everyday life. A steep price is very high. A steep drop or decline is sudden and large. People also say a steep learning curve when something feels hard at the beginning and takes a lot of effort to handle.
The word can also be a verb. If you steep tea, herbs, or food, you leave them in hot water or another liquid so the flavor slowly comes out. In both its adjective and verb forms, the word suggests something strong, sharp, or deeply absorbed.
"Steep" usually begins with a picture: a road, hill, or path that goes up or down at a sharp angle. If you are walking up a steep hill, you feel the effort right away because the ground rises quickly. That is the core meaning, and many of the other uses grow naturally from it.
From there, the word often moves into figurative use. A steep price is much higher than you would like to pay. A steep fine or fee feels heavy. A steep rise, drop, decline, or increase describes a change that is sudden and large, not gentle or gradual. In everyday speech, people also talk about a steep learning curve when the early stage of learning feels demanding and full of difficulty.
The word also has a verb form. To steep tea, coffee grounds, herbs, or food means to leave them in liquid so their flavor, color, or other qualities slowly spread into it. This idea of deep soaking leads to the phrase "steeped in," which means deeply filled with or strongly shaped by something, such as tradition, history, or culture.
So whether you are talking about a cliff, a price tag, a fast drop in numbers, or a teapot on the table, "steep" usually carries the sense of something sharp, strong, sudden, or deeply soaked through.
Examples
- 1
Walking path
The path up to the village is steep, so take your time.
- 2
Stairs
Be careful on those steep stairs when you're carrying boxes.
- 3
Price increase
House prices have seen a steep rise this year.
- Phrasesteep rise
a big, sudden increase
- 4
Sales decrease
The company is facing a steep drop in sales after the holiday season.
- Phrasesteep drop
a big, sudden decrease
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Learning difficulty
The course has a steep learning curve, but the lessons are well designed.
- Phrasea steep learning curve
something is hard to learn at first
- 6
Price complaint
Fifty dollars for parking seems a bit steep.
- Phrasea bit steep
more expensive or unreasonable than expected
- 7
Tea preparation
Let the tea steep for three minutes before you drink it.
- 8
Cultural influence
She grew up in a family steeped in music and storytelling.
- Patternsteeped in + influence or tradition
deeply surrounded by or influenced by it
See also
Forms and spellings
6 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- steepverbadjectivenoun
Forms
- steepedpast tenseverbadjectivenoun
- steepercomparativeadjectiveverbnoun
- steepestsuperlativeadjectiveverbnoun
- steeping-ing formverbadjectivenoun
- steepsverbadjectivenoun