steep

Language▾

German

Persian

Russian

Spanish

A steep hill is one that's very high and has a strong slope.

When people talk about steep in everyday situations, they often mean it literally – like a steep hill or mountain. For example, if you're planning a hike and someone warns you that the trail gets really steep halfway up, it means the path becomes quite difficult to walk on because of its steep incline.

How common is "steep"?

Word steep is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

adjective

Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.
Example: a steep hill or mountain; a steep roof; a steep ascent; a steep barometric gradient
(informal) Expensive.
Example: Twenty quid for a shave? That's a bit steep.
(obsolete) Difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high.
(of the rake of a ship's mast, or a car's windshield) resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular.
Example: The steep rake of the windshield enhances the fast lines of the exterior.

1 / 4

branthilly

Real examples of "steep" in context

Why Are Beach Holes So Deadly?

Entertainment

how steep slopes can be depending on the types of soil and the devices used to shore up an excavation

12:27

of repose, the steepest angle that a soil will naturally stand. If I let sand pour out of this

4:56

We simulated if you can really reach anyone in 6 steps