slope

1 of 4

adjective

ˈslōp 

: that slants : sloping

—often used in combination

slope-sided

slope

2 of 4

verb

sloped; sloping

intransitive verb

1

: to take an oblique course

2

: to lie or fall in a slant : incline

3

: go, travel

… slopes off into the night …

—Wolcott Gibbs

transitive verb

: to cause to incline or slant

sloper noun

slope

3 of 4

noun (1)

1

: ground that forms a natural or artificial incline

2

: upward or downward slant or inclination or degree of slant

3

: the part of a continent draining to a particular ocean

Alaska's North Slope

4

a

: the tangent of the angle made by a straight line with the x-axis

b

: the slope of the line tangent to a plane curve at a point

sloper

4 of 4

noun (2)

slop·​er

-pə(r)

plural -s

1

: one that slopes: such as

a

: a device for shaping the slopes of a railroad embankment

b

: a basic pattern for garment makers indicating the measurements for each size but having no fullness or design details

2

: slopeman

Synonyms of slope

Verb

• tilt
• angle
• incline
• lean

Noun (1)

• incline
• inclination
• gradient

Examples of slope in a Sentence

Verb

His handwriting slopes to the left.

they sloped our new driveway too steeply and now my car scrapes bottom whenever I back out onto the street

Noun (1)

They climbed the steep slope.

What is the angle of the slope?

You can adjust the slope of the ramp.

a slope of 30 degrees

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Travelers can stay at Hotel Catedral Patagonia, which has a spa for post-slope relaxation. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026

Arguably, the two best features for powderhounds are the gear storage area, complete with a boot dryer and a waxing and tuning station, and the hot tub because no mountain retreat is complete without a post-slope soak. — Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026

Verb

The sail should slope slightly downward so that rain doesn’t pool. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026

The road wound upwards, past a sloping graveyard and cedar trees. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

Noun

His last act was a 35-foot birdie putt down the slope on the 18th green that dropped for a 1-under 69. — Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026

Once a blemish on the course due to its sharp slope, the area was completely overhauled. — Anya Armentrout, Twin Cities, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sloop, probably from aslope, adverb, at an angle

and Noun (2)

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

circa 1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing slope

• bunny slope
• continental slope
• glide slope
• nursery slope
• slippery slope
• slope-intercept form
• slope off

Rhymes for slope

• cope
• dope
• grope
• lope
• mope
• nope
• rope
• scope
• shope
• soap
• stope
• swope

Kids Definition

slope

1 of 3 adjective

ˈslōp 

: that slants : sloping

slope

2 of 3 verb

sloped; sloping

: to take a slanting direction : give a slant to : incline

sloper noun

slope

3 of 3 noun

1

: ground that forms a natural or artificial incline

2

: upward or downward slant or degree of slant

3

: the ratio of the change in a vertical direction to the change in a horizontal direction between any two points on the graph of a straight line