Meaning & use
steep
Last updated
Rising or falling sharply; almost perpendicular.
See it in a sentence
The trail up the mountain was too steep for beginners.
The company faced a steep decline in sales after the scandal.
A note on using this word
Also used as a verb meaning to soak something, especially tea leaves, in liquid, as in "steep the tea for five minutes."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To soak something in liquid to extract flavor, color, or other qualities.
Let the tea steep for three minutes before drinking.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “steep”, then compare your use with the examples above.