deep

adjective

\ ˈdēp

Definition of deep

(Entry 1 of 3)

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 deep entry 2 sense 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

3a : 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

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

b : having a low musical pitch (see pitch entry 4 sense 4b) or pitch range a deep voice

5a : 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

in deep water

: in difficulty or distress

deep

adverb

Definition of deep (Entry 2 of 3)

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 sense 6 threw deep to the wide receiver hit the ball deep to right field

deep

noun

Definition of deep (Entry 3 of 3)

1a : 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 mark entry 1 sense 2b)

Other Words from deep Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about deep

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Synonyms & Antonyms for deep

Synonyms: Adjective

abysmal, bottomless, profound

Synonyms: Noun

depth, height, middle, midst, thick

Antonyms: Adjective

shallow, shoal, skin-deep, superficial, surface

Choose the Right Synonym for deep

Adjective

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

Examples of deep in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Adverb

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.

Noun

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 on the Web: Adjective

Sophie's was a deep red covered in beading and embroidery and a gold dupatta (a matching shawl-like scarf common in traditional Indian clothing), and Joe coordinated outfits with Nick, wearing a powder blue kurta pajama with delicate embroidery. — Amanda Mitchell, Marie Claire, "Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner, and Nick and Joe Jonas Look Incredible at Pre-Wedding Celebrations," 29 Nov. 2018 Almost every Kakhetian winery produces a wickedly dark saperavi, one of the world’s few teinturiers, somm jargon for grapes whose flesh and skin are both deep red. — Benjamin Kemper, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Guide to Georgian Wine Country," 5 Sep. 2018 The new laptop is about 11 inches wide, 8.3 inches deep, and about 0.6-inch thick. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Razer's Blade Stealth gets a long-awaited upgrade to GeForce graphics and a Whiskey Lake CPU," 4 Dec. 2018 The breeze is rich with fragrant plumeria and pineapple, and every minute of every day you’re reminded (and encouraged) to stop and take a nice, deep breath. — Todd Plummer, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Maui Needs To Be Your Next Girls Trip," 19 Nov. 2018 Pick the one that best applies, take a deep breath, and repeat as needed. — Kim Fusaro, Glamour, "9 Mantras From Abby Wambach and More “Warrior Women” to Help You Get Through the Day," 10 Nov. 2018 Take deep belly breaths and let the residual tension go with every exhale. — Zoë Ligon, Allure, "9 Things You Need to Know Before You Have Anal," 5 Nov. 2018 Lidingö is deep inside the Stockholm archipelago, very close to the Swedish capital. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Mystery Submarine Spotted in Swedish Waters," 29 Oct. 2018 One of those women friends from college, a self-described liberal and feminist sent me a text last night that said, quote, deep breaths. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Read the Full Transcript of Brett Kavanaugh's Opening Statement at Today's Hearing," 27 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Cam, streaming now, takes viewers deep into the webcam world, adding some surreal twists along the way. — Carl Kelsch, Marie Claire, "'Cam' Is the Sex-Positive Horror Movie You Have to See," 24 Dec. 2018 Beginning with his Spring 2011 show and continuing through his Fall 2012 one, Simons delves deep into couture ideas at Jil Sander. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "A Brief History of Raf Simons’s Storied Career in Fashion," 22 Dec. 2018 In the summer of 1968, astronaut Frank Borman was deep into training as the mission leader to test the Apollo command and lunar modules in Earth orbit. — Ernie Mastroianni, Discover Magazine, "Apollo 8: Humanity's First Trip to the Moon," 21 Dec. 2018 Didi Gregorius and Neil Walker also went deep for the Yankees, who have at least three homers in five consecutive games for the first time in team history. — Stephen Hawkins, BostonGlobe.com, "Coffeyville, KS: This Tiny, Unknown Company Is Disrupting A $91 Billion Industry," 23 May 2018 When kids ask for the impossible—jobs for unemployed guardians or reconciliation between moms and dads—these Kringles dig deep. — Ann Votaw, Marie Claire, "I Went to the Harvard of Santa Schools to Become Mrs. Claus," 20 Dec. 2018 Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until top is deep golden brown. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Sparkly Apple Slab Pie," 23 Oct. 2018 Buried deep within Trump’s psyche is the notion that nice white boys simply can’t do anything wrong. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "What Do Women Have to Do to Be Believed?," 20 Sep. 2018 The two were also guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2011 nuptials, proving that their history with the royal family runs deep. — Kara Thompson, Town & Country, "David Beckham Is Heading to Australia With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry This Fall," 24 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Lawrence hit Tee Higgins with a 62-yard pass on third-and-14 deep in Tiger territory and Travis Etienne followed with a 17-yard TD run. — Pete Iacobelli, The Seattle Times, "Clemson uses big moments to topple Tide for title," 8 Jan. 2019 That is a huge boon to Charlotte, which may use him as a shooting guard next to Kemba Walker but regardless got great value this deep into the draft. 12. — Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, "2018 N.B.A. Draft Results: Analysis of Every Pick in Round 1," 21 June 2018 Betty's mom is knee-deep in some bizarre cult called The Farm, Archie's sweating it out in juvie, and a creepy game called Gryphons and Gargoyles is literally killing high schoolers. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Why Is Riverdale So Thirsty This Season?," 31 Oct. 2018 With England and Croatia tied 1-1 deep into extra time, Mandzukic slipped past John Stones and stroked a clinical finish past Pickford to send Croatia to the World Cup Final. — Nihal Kolur, SI.com, "Watch: Croatian Players Celebrate Mandzukic Goal With Photographer," 11 July 2018 For one, the speaker is mostly treated as an iOS ecosystem accessory, like the AirPods, that works best only for those deep within Apple’s walled garden. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Apple sold an estimated 600,000 HomePods in the first quarter of the year," 17 May 2018 In the 1970s, local preference shifted to the larger fish of the deeps, above all ahi (yellowfin tuna), typically anointed with shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) instead of sea salt. — Author: Ligaya Mishan, Anchorage Daily News, "Heading home to Hawaii in search of poke," 10 Jan. 2018 Virginia will have a young defense, and Louisville will bring a deep, experienced receiving group. — Jake Lourim, The Courier-Journal, "How Louisville football can (and can't) beat Virginia," 5 July 2018 Water in the cave is reportedly knee-deep, but is neck-deep in the chamber. — Nicole Darrah, Fox News, "Trapped Thai soccer team entered cave for 'initiation' ritual, rescuer says," 3 July 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.