What does “steep” mean?
- 1
adjectiverising or falling sharply, so it is hard to go up
The path up the hill is very steep.
- 2
adjectivelarge and sudden, about a rise or fall in amount
There was a steep decline in sales.
- 3
adjectivetoo expensive, informally
Fifty dollars for a sandwich is a bit steep.
Steep at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- B2 (upper intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /stip/ · STEEP
How to use “steep” correctly
A “steep learning curve” means something is hard to learn quickly. As a verb, “steep” means soak, as with tea.
Common phrases with “steep”
- steep slope
- steep rise
- steep learning curve
- steep price
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- sheer
- sharp
- expensive
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- gentle
- gradual
Word family
- steeply
- steepness
“steep” is on these word lists
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