steep

1. 1.

   having a sharp inclination

   “the steep attic stairs”

   “steep cliffs”

   Antonymsgradual

   Similarabruptbluffheavyperpendicularsteepishsteep-sided
2. 2.

   greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation

   “exorbitant rent”

   “extortionate prices”

   “spends an outrageous amount on entertainment”

   “usurious interest rate”

   “unconscionable spending”

   Synonymsexorbitantextortionateoutrageousunconscionableusurious

   Similarimmoderate
3. 3.

   of a slope; set at a high angle

   “note the steep incline”

   “a steep roof sheds snow”

   Similarhigh

1. 1.

   devote (oneself) fully to

   “He immersed himself into his studies”

   Synonymsimmerseengulfplungeengrossabsorbsoak up

   Broaderconcentrate

   Narrowerdrink in
2. 2.

   let sit in a liquid to extract a flavor or to cleanse

   “steep the blossoms in oil”

   “steep the fruit in alcohol”

   Synonymsinfuse

   Broadersoak

   Narrowermarinadedecoctinfusedraw

1. 1.

   a steep place (as on a hill)

   Broaderdescent

Other forms of steep

plural

steeps·

past tense

steeped·

present participle

steeping·

comparative

steeper·

superlative

steepest·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about steep

What does steep mean?

steep means "having a sharp inclination". That is the primary sense; the word has 6 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in steep?

steep has 1 syllable: steep. In IPA it is /ˈstip/.

What is another word for steep?

Close synonyms include exorbitant, extortionate, outrageous, unconscionable, usurious. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

What is the opposite of steep?

The recorded antonyms are gradual.

Is steep a common word?

steep is banded "Familiar" — widely understood, used when the subject calls for it. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.