Entry Word: depth

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 distance measured from the top to the bottom of something <be sure to check the depth of the water before diving off the dock>

Synonyms drop

Related Words lowness; draft, sounding

Near Antonyms shallowness; altitude, elevation, height

2 the quality of being great in extent (as of insight) <the depth of the poet's understanding of human nature has given his works a timeless appeal>

Synonyms profoundness, profundity

Related Words discernment, sense, wisdom; brain, intellect, intelligence; acuteness, keenness, penetration, sharpness

Near Antonyms shallowness, superficiality; smattering

3 the most intense or characteristic phase of something <I was in the depths of profound thought when I was rudely interrupted> — see thick