Meaning & use
seeping
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“seeping” is a form of “seep”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Flowing slowly and in small amounts through a tiny opening or porous material.
Grammar: -ing form of seep; no object; often followed by through, into or out of.
Patterns
- seeping through something
- seeping into something
- seeping out of something
Water was seeping through the cracks in the basement wall.
Gas seeping from the old pipe caused a strong smell.
Blood was seeping through the bandage.
verbintransitivefigurative
Spreading gradually and almost unnoticed, as a feeling, idea or influence.
Grammar: No object; used figuratively with in or into.
Patterns
- seeping into something
- seeping in
Doubt was seeping into her mind as the hours passed.
The cold was seeping into his bones.
New slang words are seeping into the language through social media.
Word forms
| base form | seep |
|---|---|
| third person singular | seeps |
| past tense | seeped |
Common combinations
- seeping through
- Rain was seeping through the roof.
- seeping into the ground
- Oil was seeping into the ground near the pipeline.
- seeping out
- Light was seeping out from under the door.
- slowly seeping
- Slowly seeping water had stained the wall.
- seeping into consciousness
- The truth was seeping into his consciousness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- oozing
- Oozing suggests thick or sticky liquid flowing slowly, while seeping is used for thin liquid and gas as well.
- leaking
- Leaking is any escape through a hole and can be fast, while seeping is always slow and gradual.
- trickling
- Trickling describes a thin visible stream, whereas seeping may be hardly visible.
- filtering
- Filtering suggests passing through a barrier that removes something, while seeping simply passes through gaps.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: seeping or sipping? seeping or steeping?
seeping vs sipping
Sipping means drinking in small amounts, while seeping describes liquid slowly passing through something.
seeping vs steeping
Steeping means soaking something such as tea in liquid; seeping is slow leakage.
Practice
Rainwater was ____ through the ceiling and forming damp patches.
Choose one answer.
Seeping describes slow movement through small gaps and fits damp patches. Gushing and pouring suggest a heavy flow, and sprinting is for people running.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “seeping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.