steep 1 of 3

steep

2 of 3

verb

steep

3 of 3

noun

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

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 steep
Adjective
However, the menu item doesn't actually come with that steep of a cost. Catherine Santino, People.com, 1 June 2025 Also: five pencils are enough The Trump administration is working to secure trade deals with more than 170 nations after Trump in April steep imposed universal tariffs on much of the world. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Verb
Chewy reported a steep year-over-year drop in earnings, but Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock Thursday. Michelle Fox, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025 The largest position in the fund’s stock portfolio as of the end of June was an $800 million stake in Chinese tech giant Alibaba, and Tepper made a significant investment in the second quarter into UnitedHealth Group, taking advantage of a steep decline in the company’s stock price. Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Make sure to consult the steeping direction for each kind of tea, as different teas should be steeped for various lengths of time at different temperatures (hotter for black and herbal and cooler for green and white, for instance). Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025 Remove from heat, and allow spices to steep for about 10 minutes. Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for steep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steep
Adjective
  • For nearly four decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have skirmished with each other, primarily over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that both countries claim.
    Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In a small region of the mountainous forests in Brazil, the peaks meet the clouds and humidity fills the air.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • A level 2 of 4 threat for excessive rainfall is in place for parts of eastern New Mexico and western Texas due to rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible in the heaviest storms.
    Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The government's initial response, which blamed opposition factions rather than acknowledging excessive force, further inflamed tensions.
    Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His narration is a constant pleasure — mournful, wry, and suffused with a world-weary poetry.
    Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Does that ideal suffuse your work?
    Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Not with crisp, clean bedding but with your sheet coming out of the dryer balled up in your duvet cover, still soaking wet.
    Reuven Perlman, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
  • On their simulated planet, clouds released rain that froze into icebergs that melted and flowed down rivers, soaking soil and evaporating to rejoin the atmosphere.
    Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And thanks to the towering cliffs that shield the shoreline from strong winds, the beaches often stay warm even as the air cools.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
  • These boulders, ranging in size from several meters to hundreds of meters and weighing up to a few tons, occasionally tumble down cliffs and crater walls, leaving bright tracks of disturbed lunar dust behind.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Moving people up and down this vertical city requires 59 elevators, including five double-deck elevators capable of traveling, along with multiple escalators and sky lobbies.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The regression in the Dolphins’ vertical passing game, a problem for most of last season, continued in the opener.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Ketamine therapy’s most common short-term side effects are dizziness and nausea, but in extreme cases, long-term, heavy use of ketamine is associated with memory problems, gastrointestinal issues, and urinary tract infections, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Tootles’ death disproves this, showing that a hybrid being can die under extreme circumstances.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Hortmans’ assassination received a flurry of coverage over the strange circumstances under which it was carried out, with pictures of Boelter in his silicone mask initially flooding social media.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The United States is flooded with nearly half a billion guns, and the stockpile does not vanish just because the murder rate dips.
    John J. Donohue, Time, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Steep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steep. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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