Synonyms of steep

steep 1 of 3

adjective

ˈstēp 

1

as in mountainous

having an incline approaching the perpendicular

a very steep rock face that is nearly impossible to climb

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mountainous
• vertical
• precipitous
• sheer
• sloped
• abrupt
• perpendicular
• bold
• hilly
• tilted
• craggy
• straight
• plumb
• angled
• scarped
• tipped
• heeled
• slanted
• inclined
• hillocky
• listed
• cocked
• canted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• moderate
• gradual
• soft
• gentle
• smooth
• flat
• level
• horizontal
• even
• flush
• plane
• unruffled
• unwrinkled

2

as in excessive

going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount

we would like to hire him, but his salary demands are just too steep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excessive
• extreme
• insane
• extravagant
• infinite
• exorbitant
• endless
• lavish
• inordinate
• undue
• fancy
• intolerable
• stiff
• over-the-top
• baroque
• immoderate
• unbearable
• unconscionable
• overdue
• towering
• inappropriate
• plethoric
• unmerciful
• devilish
• overextravagant
• overmuch
• overweening
• improper
• a bit much
• immeasurable
• unjustifiable
• limitless
• boundless
• unwarranted
• unseemly
• thick
• unrestrained

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reasonable
• moderate
• modest
• inadequate
• insufficient
• minimum
• temperate
• minimal
• middling
• deficient

steep

2 of 3

verb

1

as in to suffuse

to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle

grew up steeped in the ways of his ancestors

a town steeped in history

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suffuse
• flood
• charge
• invest
• infuse
• inoculate
• fill
• inculcate
• imbue
• indue
• overwhelm
• plant
• drown
• engrain
• endue
• invigorate
• enliven
• animate
• ingrain
• leaven
• saturate
• submerge
• permeate
• pervade
• deluge
• inundate
• implant
• instill
• impregnate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deprive
• take (away)
• clear
• strip
• eliminate
• remove
• empty
• divest

2

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid

chew fresh ginger that has been steeped in hot water to aid digestion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• soak
• drown
• saturate
• dip
• macerate
• wash
• sodden
• drench
• submerge
• immerse
• impregnate
• sop
• water
• penetrate
• swamp
• souse
• water-soak
• damp
• seethe
• waterlog
• inundate
• hydrate
• marinate
• infiltrate
• permeate
• bathe
• dampen
• moisten
• presoak
• humidify
• douse
• swill
• dowse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• wring (out)
• drain
• empty
• dehydrate
• void
• sear
• desiccate
• parch
• dehumidify

steep

3 of 3

noun

as in cliff

Related Words

• cliff
• precipice
• bluff
• plateau
• crag
• ridge
• tor
• tableland
• mesa
• butte
• mountain
• peak
• mount
• sierra
• hill
• table
• dome
• highland
• prominence
• upland
• altitude
• elevation
• foothill
• knoll
• hillock
• alp
• sugarloaf
• rise
• hump
• eminence
• knob
• downs
• mound
• height
• hummock

Dissimilar Words

• valley
• lowland
• depression
• hollow
• vale
• dale
• glen
• basin
• flat
• bottom
• plain
• dell
• floodplain
• tidewater
• bottomland
• fen
• dingle

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of steep are abrupt, precipitous, and sheer. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill

a steep dive

When would abrupt be a good substitute for steep?

In some situations, the words abrupt and steep are roughly equivalent. However, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

When might precipitous be a better fit than steep?

While in some cases nearly identical to steep, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

When is it sensible to use sheer instead of steep?

Although the words sheer and steep have much in common, sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of steep

Adjective

Phoenix is a springtime magnet for outdoors lovers as well, and many visitors gravitate to the spectacular hike up the steep inclines and rocky surfaces of Camelback Mountain’s Cholla Trail. —Cindy Barks, AFAR Media, 27 Feb. 2025

Mountain bikers love Nelson for its distinct type of trails, nostalgically referred to as classic BC-style (Read: highly technical singletrack with long vertical descents full of airs, bridges, steeps, roots, and rock slabs). —Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 4 Oct. 2024

Verb

The full effect of steep new tariffs hasn’t been felt by shoppers yet, according to Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist at the National Retail Federation. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2025

A lot of teams will be motivated to try on a steep finale like this, and there are a lot of specialists on the peloton in this terrain. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Noun

Among the group is a pair of Black twins, whose professor mentions Mengele’s fixation with identical siblings, which both portends fleeting dramatic moments in the rest of the film, and also steeps this post-mortem study in dramatic irony. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2025

The property offers a variety of immersive outdoor and farming experiences for guests to steep themselves in the surrounding landscape including truffle hunting, beekeeping and picnicking in the property’s olive grove. —Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025