Meaning & use
deepen
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
to make something deeper, or to become deeper.
Grammar: Can take an object (deepen the hole) or stand alone (the water deepened).
Patterns
- deepen something
- something deepens
Workers deepened the channel so larger boats could pass.
The river deepens suddenly beyond that bend.
They deepened the well to reach clean water.
verbtransitive or intransitive
to become stronger or more serious, or to make something stronger or more serious.
Grammar: Very common with feelings, relationships, and problems: deepen a friendship; the crisis deepened.
Patterns
- deepen a relationship
- deepen someone's understanding
- a crisis deepens
The trip deepened their friendship.
The economic crisis deepened over the winter.
Reading the letters deepened her understanding of her grandmother.
verbintransitive
(of a sound or voice) to become lower in pitch.
Grammar: No object; used of voices and musical sounds: his voice deepened.
Patterns
- someone's voice deepens
- a sound deepens
His voice deepened as he grew older.
The music deepened as the drums joined in.
Word forms
| third person singular | deepens |
|---|---|
| past tense | deepened |
| past participle | deepened |
| -ing form | deepening |
Common combinations
- deepen understanding
- The course deepened my understanding of climate science.
- deepen a friendship
- Shared hardship deepened their friendship.
- deepen the crisis
- New sanctions deepened the crisis.
- deepen one's voice
- He lowered his chin to deepen his voice.
- deepen a hole
- They deepened the hole until water appeared.
Synonyms and how they differ
- intensify
- Intensify means to become stronger or more extreme, often of feelings or activity; deepen suggests a slower, more lasting growth.
- strengthen
- Strengthen fits bonds, muscles, and arguments; deepen is better for emotional ties and understanding.
- worsen
- Worsen means to become worse and is negative only; deepen can describe good things like love or knowledge.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: deepen or deepen?
deepen vs deepen
Do not confuse with 'deep in', which means busy with or involved in something, as in deep in conversation.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
Deepen can be intransitive, so 'the lake deepens' is correct. The other options either use an object wrongly or use the wrong word form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deepen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.