deep

adjective \ ˈdēp \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: deep in a Sentence

Definition of deep

1 : extending far from some surface or area: such as

a : extending far downward

a deep well

a deep chasm

b (1) : extending well inward from an outer surface

a deep gash

a deep-chested animal

(2) : not located superficially within the body

deep pressure receptors in muscles

c : extending well back from a surface accepted as front

a deep closet

d : extending far laterally from the center

deep borders of lace

e sports : occurring or located near the outer limits of the playing area

hit to deep right field

f sports : thrown or hit for a considerable distance : thrown or hit deep (see ²deep 3b)

a deep pass

a deep fly ball

2 : having a specified extension in an implied direction usually downward or backward

a shelf 20 inches deep

cars parked three-deep

3 a : difficult to penetrate or comprehend : recondite

deep mathematical problems

deep discussions on the meaning of life

b : mysterious, obscure

a deep dark secret

c : grave or lamentable in nature or effect

in deepest disgrace

d : of penetrating intellect : wise

a deep thinker

e : intensely engrossed or immersed

she was deep in her book

f : characterized by profundity of feeling or quality

a deep sleep

; also : deep-seated

deep religious beliefs

4 a of color : high in saturation and low in lightness

a deep red

b : having a low musical pitch (see ⁴pitch 4b) or pitch range

a deep voice

5 a : situated well within the boundaries

a house deep in the woods

b : remote in time or space

found deep in rural England

c : being below the level of consciousness

deep neuroses

d : covered, enclosed, or filled to a specified degree —usually used in combination

ankle-deep in mud

6 : large

deep discounts

7 : having many good players

a deep bull pen

—

deeply

adverb

—

deepness

noun

— in deep water

: in difficulty or distress

See deep defined for English-language learners

See deep defined for kids

Examples of deep in a Sentence

We walked in the deep snow.
a deep valley between the mountains
The water is deepest in the middle of the lake.
She's afraid of swimming in deep water.
a plant with deep roots
The house has lots of deep closets.
She has a small but deep wound on her arm.
This enormous canyon is over a mile deep.
The shelves are 10 inches deep.
He stepped into an ankle-deep puddle of mud.

Recent Examples of deep from the Web

Anxiety about not having a plan almost always masks a deeper fear: What to do when there is nothing to do.

— rachel simmons, chicagotribune.com, "Why you should stop asking new graduates what they're doing next," 10 June 2018
However, debates about his extensive legacy –enlivened by his deep archive of papers – are far from over and will likely intensify in years to come.

— kate keller, Smithsonian, "Woodrow Wilson’s Papers Go Digital, Leaving Microfiche Behind," 9 June 2018
And that means exploring the sort of deep learning that’s at the core of advanced self-driving systems around the world.

— alex davies, WIRED, "Land Rover Wants to Take Self-Driving Cars Off-Roading," 9 June 2018
Then sow the seeds and rake them in so they are covered about a quarter- to half-inch deep.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "How to treat blossom-end rot," 9 June 2018
Flagstar's acquisition, which could be completed in late October, is another sign that the bank, which relied heavily on national mortgage banking, is putting its deep troubles from the financial crisis behind it.

— susan tompor, Detroit Free Press, "How to plan for next round of Fed interest rate hikes," 9 June 2018
The suspect was described as a stocky man with a deep voice between 35 and 40 years old.

— zachary hansen, ajc, "Cops: Man impersonating Clayton County deputy attacks, steals money from driver," 9 June 2018
Historically, deep closers have not fared well in the Belmont, so riders will seek to put their horses within a few lengths at the quarter pole.

— beth harris, Houston Chronicle, "Justify ready for run at Triple Crown history in Belmont," 9 June 2018
As someone who has a deep history working with players on an individual level, the veteran coach is not bringing preconceived notions with him.

— richard morin, azcentral, "Arizona Cardinals' new D-line coach Don Johnson finds a perfect fit with Steve Wilks, staff and players," 9 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deep.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of deep

Middle English dep, from Old English dēop; akin to Old High German tiof deep, Old English dyppan to dip — more at dip

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

deep Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of deep

broad, wide, deep mean having horizontal extent. broad and wide apply to a surface measured or viewed from side to side.

- a broad avenue

wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned

- rugs eight feet wide

or applied to unfilled space between limits.

- a wide doorway

broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

- broad shoulders

deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

- a deep cupboard
- deep woods

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

deep

adverb

Definition of deep

1 : to a great depth : deeply

still waters run deep

tunneled deep into the earth

2 : far on : late

danced deep into the night

3 sports

a : near the outer limits of the playing area

the shortstop was playing deep

b : long 6

threw deep to the wide receiver

hit the ball deep to right field

See deep defined for English-language learners

Examples of deep in a Sentence

The ship now lies deep below the water's surface.
Our feet sank deeper into the mud.
The treasure was buried deep within the ground.
Their secret offices were located deep underground.
We walked deep into the forest.
The soldiers are operating deep within enemy territory.
I stood three feet deep in the water.
He stepped ankle-deep into a puddle of mud.

Recent Examples of deep from the Web

Each still possess the prowess to guide their nations deep into the knockout stage.

— hayden bird, BostonGlobe.com, "Your guide to the 2018 World Cup," 11 June 2018
Snow’s is tucked several side roads deep into a residential neighborhood.

— john carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Father, son bond writing U.P. bars book and it becomes a cult classic," 10 June 2018
James re-signing would essentially place a mandate on the front office to sign whoever necessary to keep the Cavs competitive (provided Dan Gilbert is willing to go deep into the tax, which, at this moment is unclear).

— ben ladner, SI.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers Offseason Preview: Will LeBron James Stay or Go?," 10 June 2018
To dive deep into disgust, Val Curtis, director of the environmental health group at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and her team came up with a truly disgusting survey filled with a series of potentially foul scenarios.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Disgusting Things Fall Into Six Gross Categories," 8 June 2018
The fat ran deep into these buttery slices and the light application of dry rub is the right call for meat that doesn’t need any flavor help.

— chuck blount, San Antonio Express-News, "52 Weeks of BBQ: Black Board Bar B Q," 8 June 2018
This lead me to dive deep into a lot of listening & a lot of writing.

— nick williams, Billboard, "Listen to Aussie Beatsmith What So Not's #TBT Mixtape, Inspired by His 'Rock Kid' Origins," 7 June 2018
Gilmore tugged up her shorts and waded into the basin, sandals sinking deep into chocolatey mud.

— ben goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018
From there, simply go about your day while the current works its magic — i.e. pushes the face mask's ingredients deep into your skin.

— sophie wirt, Allure, "Exclusive: Celebrity Facialist Georgia Louise Launches At-Home Galvanic Current Device," 7 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of deep

see ¹deep

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

deep

noun

Definition of deep

1 a : a vast or immeasurable extent : abyss

b (1) : the extent of surrounding space or time

the azure deep

(2) nautical : ocean

the briny deep

2 : any of the deep portions of a body of water; specifically : a generally long and narrow area in the ocean where the depth exceeds 3000 fathoms (5500 meters)

the Aldrich Deep in the south Pacific

3 : the middle or most intense part

in the deep of winter

4 nautical : any of the fathom points on a sounding line other than the marks (see ¹mark 2b)

See deep defined for English-language learners

Examples of deep in a Sentence

the kind of cold weather that we usually have only in the deep of winter
sailors exploring the farther reaches of the briny deep

Recent Examples of deep from the Web

In the sixth, Florida State’s Zoe Casas sent one deep to right field.

— cliff brunt, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida State tops No. 1 seed Oregon in WCWS elimination game," 3 June 2018
An innovator who has been happiest elbow-deep in an engine. Waddell Wilson — Rare combination of success in two tough assignments – building engines and leading teams as crew chief.

— mike hembree, USA TODAY, "How USA TODAY's Mike Hembree voted on his NASCAR Hall of Fame ballot," 23 May 2018
The limbo that our man Sam finds himself in proves to be soul-deep in this Cygnet Theatre world-premiere work by Nathan Alan Davis, a rising writer and recent winner of the prestigious Whiting Award.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cygnet's rap-informed 'The Wind and the Breeze' finds meditative rhythms," 20 May 2018
Some of the horses were found thigh- to neck-deep in the mud at the stock pond in Gray Mountain, according to Nina Chester, a staff assistant for the office of the president and vice president.

— amir vera, CNN, "Nearly 200 dead horses found on Navajo land in Arizona," 5 May 2018
And yet, developers are already neck-deep in 5G technology, and many of us wait with bated breath to learn its uncharted capabilities.

— kim komando, Fox News, "5G revolution, saving on flights, and more: Tech Q&A," 28 Apr. 2018
This is like to choose between the devil and the deep see.

— elizabeth weise, USA TODAY, "Here's how Russian manipulators were able to target Facebook users," 10 May 2018
Kubrick is using science fiction as a vehicle for philosophical deep think in an unprecedented fashion.

— mark feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "‘2001’ is a space odyssey, but 2018 is a Kubrick moment," 10 May 2018
Giuliani also appears to be neck-deep in the release -- potential release? -- of the North Korean prisoners for some reason.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Heeeeere's Rudy!: The Giuliani bomb has hit the White House," 3 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of deep

see ¹deep

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

deep Synonyms

Synonyms

abysm, abyss, chasm, gulf, ocean;

Related Words

cleft, crevasse, crevice, fissure;

cavern, hole, hollow, pit;

breadth, expanse, extent, reach, spread, stretch;

black hole, emptiness, nothingness, vacancy, vacuum, void;

DEEP Defined for English Language Learners

deep

adjective

Definition of deep for English Language Learners

: having a large distance to the bottom from the surface or highest point
: going far inward from the outside or the front edge of something
: located far inside something

deep

adverb

Definition of deep for English Language Learners

: far into or below the surface of something
: far into or inside something
: at a specified measurement downward, inward, or backward

DEEP Defined for Kids

deep

adjective \ ˈdēp \

Definition of deep for Students

deeper; deepest

1 : reaching far down below the surface

2 : reaching far inward or back from the front or outer part

a deep cut

a deep closet

3 : located well below the surface or well within the boundaries of

deep in the ground

4 : coming from well within

a deep sigh

5 : completely absorbed

deep in thought

6 : hard to understand

This story is too deep for me.

7 : mysterious

a deep, dark secret

8 : extreme in degree : heavy

a deep sleep

9 : dark and rich in color

a deep red

10 : low in tone

a deep voice

—

deeply

adverb

deep

adverb

Definition of deep for Students

deeper; deepest

1 : to a great depth : deeply

2 : ²late 1

She read deep into the night.

deep

noun

Definition of deep for Students

1 : a very deep place or part

the ocean deeps

2 : ocean 1

Pirates sailed the briny deep.

3 : the middle or most intense part

the deep of winter

Medical Dictionary

deep

adjective \ ˈdēp \

medical Definition of deep

1 a : extending well inward from an outer surface

a deep gash

b (1) : not located superficially within the body or one of its parts

deep pressure receptors in muscles

(2) : resulting from or involving stimulation of deep structures

deep pain

deep reflexes

2 : being below the level of the conscious

deep neuroses

—

deeply

adverb

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deep

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deep

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DEEP Defined for English Language Learners

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deep

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deep

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deeply

deep

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