depth

play

noun \ ˈdepth \

Definition of depth

plural depths play \ˈdepths, ˈdep(t)s\

1 a (1) :a deep place in a body of water

fish living at great depths

(2) :a part that is far from the outside or surface

the depths of the woods

(3) :abyss 1

b (1) :a profound or intense state (as of thought or feeling)

the depths of sorrow

; also :a reprehensibly low condition

hadn't realized that standards had fallen to such depths

(2) :the middle of a time (such as a season)

the depths of winter

(3) :the worst part

the depths of the depression

2 mathematics

a :the perpendicular (see ¹perpendicular 1b) measurement downward from a surface

the depth of a swimming pool

b :the direct linear measurement from front to back

the depth of a bookshelf

3 :the quality of being deep

the depth of the pass

4 :the degree of intensity

depth of a color

; also :the quality of being profound (as in insight) or full (as of knowledge)

the depth of her experience

5 :the quality or state of being complete or thorough

a study will be made in depth

6 US, sports :the quality of having many good players

a team that lacks depth in the outfield

—

depthless

play \ˈdepth-ləs\ adjective

— beyond one's depth or out of one's depth

:beyond the limits of one's capabilities

an actor who is out of his depth in serious drama

See depth defined for English-language learners

See depth defined for kids

Examples of depth in a Sentence

These fish typically live at depths of 500 feet or more.
Students will test the temperature of the water at different depths.
The boat sank to a depth of several hundred feet.
measuring the depth of the water
the depth of a hole
The pool has a depth of 12 feet.
I began working at the factory during the depth of the Depression.

Recent Examples of depth from the Web

On Tuesday, an image emerged of a surreal sight along a portion of Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas: Floodwaters of untold depth had overtaken concrete.

— amy b wang, Washington Post, "Harvey turned part of Interstate 10 into a roaring river — with actual waves," 30 Aug. 2017
The roster assumes at least one tight end, but no backup quarterback, is required, so depth can be filled by running backs and receivers.

— phil thompson, chicagotribune.com, "Fantasy football 2017 mock draft: Injuries to Spencer Ware, Julian Edelman shake up the board," 29 Aug. 2017
Mr. Immelt, who was on the verge of leaving G.E., was favored by Mr. Kalanick and a few other directors for his depth of experience running a public company.

— mike isaac, New York Times, "Inside Uber’s Wild Ride in a Search of a New C.E.O.," 29 Aug. 2017
Washington State released its first depth chart of the season Monday in preparation for Saturday’s season opener against Montana State.

— stefanie loh, The Seattle Times, "5 Observations from the WSU Cougars’ first official depth chart," 28 Aug. 2017
Little inconsistencies that we florists assume our customers won’t be able to tolerate, like a dark guard petal or a squirrely stem, are actually the elements that bring in visual interest and add depth to arrangements.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Reflections of an Accidental Florist," 28 Aug. 2017
Championship teams radiate unselfishness and, in most cases, great depth.

— rich mayor, Naperville Sun, "Girls volleyball preview: Lilly Johnson a launching pad for Benet's offense," 24 Aug. 2017
Musk teased the first image of that suit on Instagram in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, as well as a few details ahead of a more in-depth announcement to come in the next few days.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Elon Musk Teases the First Image of the SpaceX Spacesuit," 23 Aug. 2017
Returning seniors Alec Fleming and Caleb Chapman give coach Jake Rakoczy a formidable duo at the top of his lineup, and the addition of track standout Gabe Sanchez — who picked cross country over soccer this fall — further boosts Lowell's depth.

— dave melton, Post-Tribune, "Boys cross country preview: Caleb Chapman chomping at the bit for Lowell," 19 Aug. 2017

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