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deep

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noun

1
as in midst
the most intense or characteristic phase of something the kind of cold weather that we usually have only in the deep of winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in sea
the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three-fourths of the earth sailors exploring the farther reaches of the briny deep

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deep different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and wide are common synonyms of deep. While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

a deep cupboard
deep woods

Where would broad be a reasonable alternative to deep?

The meanings of broad and deep largely overlap; however, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

broad shoulders

When is it sensible to use wide instead of deep?

In some situations, the words wide and deep are roughly equivalent. However, wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits.

rugs eight feet wide
a wide doorway

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deep
Adjective
For a deep clean, follow these steps. Jennifer Beck Goldblatt, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2025 The box provides a clear target and reduces the risk of going too deep into the squat. Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Pour enough of the batter into the prepared baking dish to cover the bottom with a layer about 1/4-inch deep. Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 5 June 2025 Rick Carlisle routinely stretches his rotation to 11 deep. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for deep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deep
Adjective
  • Researchers believe the impact would have had a profound effect on the surrounding environment, reshaping landscapes and potentially influencing local ecosystems.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Set in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a solitary railroad worker navigating profound personal loss as the American frontier expands around him.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The organization’s Green Heart Project, which studies the impact of better air quality on heart disease through urban greening, has found that increasing the number of trees and shrubs in an area can create lower levels of a blood marker associated with inflammation.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Here is Carreras profiting from that exact ploy while playing for Benfica against Barcelona in the Champions League last season, sneaking forward on the far side before receiving the switch and hammering a low cross into striker Vangelis Pavlidis to score.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Tell us which creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and altogether ooky anthem is your favorite to listen to during Halloween time — or at any point in the year — by voting in the poll below.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
  • As the unloved surviving son of a cruel father, he was approached by a wizard who offered him gold to secretly feed a mysterious hedgehog-faced monster in a cave.
    Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Other of these esoteric features might actually be worth seeking out.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Duran had published articles on Tan and his wealthy colleagues, like Balaji Srinivasan, a tech investor who was promoting an esoteric but stubbornly influential concept called the Network State.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With stunning celerity, possibility becomes probability and then certainty, as readers reject the quiet, circuitous, and unglamorous narratives of prudential compromise, ambiguous diplomacy, or incremental progress.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Ibsen’s choice to use Hedda’s maiden name for the play speaks to her resistance to the strong presence of men in her life; DaCosta’s choice to remove the surname entirely speaks to a rejection of patriarchal identity, replaced with an ambiguous void that Hedda herself doesn’t know how to fill.
    Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The family dynamics of the show hadn’t been seen in any other franchise and made for some strong alliances against other members of the cast, as well as intense drama.
    Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In an intense Instagram post Thursday, her 44th, the mother of three included various family album style photos over the last few years, plus some words of wisdom.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For variegated types, that’s actually the preferred way, since rooted cuttings often send up new shoots that are just plain green.
    The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • With establishing shots of the majestic Armenian highlands, the documentary makes a concerted effort to trace the deep-rooted mythos of this ancestral land before delving into its subjects.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Brown family, founders of Brown-Forman, has significantly shaped Louisville through extensive philanthropy over 155 years.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • More than 600 Middlebury students had also joined an online group to share updates of the extensive effort to find Smith, WPTZ reported.
    Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deep. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.

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