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

Keep scrolling for more

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

Sarah Das/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Nature The ice that sits atop Greenland spans an area more than three times the size of Texas and almost two miles deep at its thickest. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Greenland’s ice sheet is melting at its fastest rate in centuries," 8 Dec. 2018 However, a new charge against Cohen last week suggested the ties with Trump might run deeper than the president would like people to think. — Emily Bloch, Teen Vogue, "The Russia Investigation Is Almost Over. Here's What You Need to Know," 8 Dec. 2018 HuffPost notes that Joe Hummel of the blog World of Pop Culture took a deep dive into this mystery. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' Sparks Mystery Over the Island of Misfit Toys," 8 Dec. 2018 Hiren Bhinde, a director of product management, drew a distinction between the typical desktop PC monitor (1080p with just 8-bit color depths) versus what a smartphone now offers: 2K resolution, HDR, and much deeper color depths. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Meet Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855: AI boosts, a smarter camera, mobile gaming—and bye-bye, JPEG," 5 Dec. 2018 Most facial-recognition algorithms are based on deep learning, which is part of machine learning. — Alyson Behr, Ars Technica, "More than an auto-pilot, AI charts its course in aviation," 5 Dec. 2018 Oil then blocks follicles, causing deep, painful zits. — Kelsey Castañon, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Acne — and How to Get Rid of It," 4 Dec. 2018 Brush over potatoes, then roast, rotating the baking sheet once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Fresh Herbs," 30 Nov. 2018 Some cottons are organic just to use the moniker, while others represent a deep commitment to environmentally and socially sustainable practices. — Hannah Morrill, ELLE Decor, "The Best Luxury Sheets For the Perfect Night's Sleep," 15 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Beyoncé, Kylie Jenner, and Jhene Aiko among them—have dug deep into their closets and pulled out a greatest hits selection of her wares, too. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Travis Scott Brings Back a Classic (And Kanye-Approved) Piece of Philo-Era Celine," 12 Nov. 2018 The team took photos of each key, then digitally enhanced them to see deep into the filament pattern. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Researcher Discovers Way to Trace 3D-Printed Guns—With a Few Caveats," 15 Oct. 2018 The Bedouin role points to how the fight has expanded beyond the coastal towns deep into the desert landscape of the peninsula. — Brian Rohan, Fox News, "Egypt arming Sinai tribesmen in fight against Islamic State," 27 Sep. 2018 Onimusha Capcom’s really digging deep into its past these days. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Battlefield V delayed, Streets of Rage gets another sequel nearly 25 years later," 31 Aug. 2018 The serpentine slitherings of the river are canyons in the concrete, deep here, wide there, oxbowing and bifurcating and braiding. — Nate Berg, Curbed, "Can engineering save Louisiana’s coastline?," 7 Nov. 2018 Despite casual phone calls from pop stars and her seeming ubiquity at the world’s most glamorous events, Wyatt is, deep down, a homebody. — Kate Donnelly, Town & Country, "At Home with Texas Philanthropist Lynn Wyatt," 19 Oct. 2018 Recent boards lacked deep-down, hard-core retail merchants and didn’t understand the rapidly changing retail environment. — WSJ, "Sears Missed Every Chance to Remain Great," 17 Oct. 2018 In each of the five areas of the economy, the researchers go deep, make granular recommendations, and quantify the exact benefits of sustainability over the status quo. — David Roberts, Vox, "We could shift to sustainability and save $26 trillion. Why are aren’t we doing it?," 6 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 Dead ahead the waves had parted to reveal a man neck-deep in the water. — Earl Swift, Outside Online, "The Incredible True Story of the Henrietta C.," 20 June 2018 Bennett’s friendship with S.F. runs deeps: As mayor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein saved the cable cars with Bennett celebrating alongside her. — Catherine Bigelow, San Francisco Chronicle, "Honorary San Franciscan Tony Bennett now has his own street," 11 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.