steep

¹

[steep]

adjective

steeper, steepest 

1. having an almost vertical slope or pitch, or a relatively high gradient, as a hill, an ascent, stairs, etc.

2. (of a price or amount) unduly high; exorbitant.

   Those prices are too steep for me.

3. extreme or incredible, as a statement or story.

4. high or lofty.

noun

1. a steep place; declivity, as of a hill.

steep

²

[steep]

verb (used with object)

1. to soak in water or other liquid in order to soften, cleanse, extract flavor or a particular ingredient, etc..

   Pour boiling water over the mint leaves and steep them for 5 minutes.

   Tapa cloth is made by steeping the thin bark of the paper mulberry tree in water and then scraping and beating it to the desired texture.

   Synonyms: infuse

2. to wet thoroughly in or with a liquid; drench; saturate; imbue.

   She isn't the only one whose belongings have been steeped in dirty floodwater—many of her neighbors are experiencing the same.

   Synonyms: permeate

3. to immerse in a particular kind of experience or area of learning, fill or saturate with a particular quality, etc., over a long period.

   Steep your children in the values of honesty, kindness, dependability, and determination.

   Synonyms: infuse, imbue

verb (used without object)

1. to sit soaking in water or other liquid for softening, cleansing, the extraction of a flavor or particular ingredient, etc..

   Your tea is steeping.

   Let the raisins steep for a few days, allowing their natural sweetness to infuse the alcohol.

noun

1. the act or process of steeping or the state of being steeped (often used attributively).

   For brewer’s malt, the steep takes a day or two, followed by germination and kilning.

   I was only giving my cold brew about eight hours of steep time instead of the recommended 16 to 18.

2. a liquid in which something is steeped.

   Remove the flax from the steep after five to seven days of soaking.

steep

¹

/ stiːp /

adjective

1. 1. having or being a slope or gradient approaching the perpendicular

   2. ( as noun )

      the steep

2. informal,  (of a fee, price, demand, etc) unduly high; unreasonable (esp in the phrase that's a bit steep )

3. informal,  excessively demanding or ambitious

   a steep task

4. informal,  (of a statement) extreme or far-fetched

5. obsolete,  elevated

steep

²

/ stiːp /

verb

1. to soak or be soaked in a liquid in order to soften, cleanse, extract an element, etc

2. (tr; usually passive) to saturate; imbue

   steeped in ideology

noun

1. an instance or the process of steeping or the condition of being steeped

2. a liquid or solution used for the purpose of steeping something

Other Word Forms

• steeply adverb
• steepness noun
• steeper noun
• unsteeped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of steep¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective step(e), steppe, Old English stēap “lofty, towering”; akin to stoop ¹

Origin of steep²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb stepen; further origin obscure; compare Old Icelandic steypa “to throw down, pour out,” Swedish stöpa “to cast”

Word History and Origins

Origin of steep¹

Old English steap; related to Old Frisian stāp, Old High German stouf cliff, Old Norse staup

Origin of steep²

Old English stēpan; related to steap vessel, cup, Old High German stouf, Old Norse staup, Middle Dutch stōp

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. steeped in, immersed in a particular kind of experience or area of learning, filled or saturated with a particular quality, etc..

   Cities like Rome or Florence are steeped in tradition and history, yet still vibrate with the life of a modern city.

   As a former congressman and ambassador, he was steeped in diplomacy, and often consulted as a mediator.

Example Sentences

Our family was formed largely by the 1926 “Hollywood Eclectic” house, with its steep pitched roof and turret, that we occupied on a scenic mountainside street in Mt.

From Los Angeles Times

Clothing brands are among the businesses hit hardest by tariffs as they make goods in Asian countries, which have faced some of the steepest US levies.

From BBC

A funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes, and in Lisbon they are a crucial means of navigating the city's steep, cobbled streets.

From BBC

It was just after 18:00 on Wednesday when a carriage on Lisbon's famous Gloria funicular came around the bend of a steep cobblestoned street, crashed into a building, and crumpled, an eyewitness said.

From BBC

It imposed steep tariffs on some 28 US products, including almonds and apples back in 2019, when Washington had refused to exempt the country from higher taxes on steel and aluminium.

From BBC

Related Words

• bathe 
• drench 
• imbue 
• immerse 
• infuse 
• ingrain 
• marinate 
• permeate 
• saturate 
• soak 
• submerge 
• suffuse