steep

steep — adjective

1. used to describe a slope or surface that rises or falls suddenly, making it phys

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

used to describe a slope or surface that rises or falls suddenly, making it physically challenging to walk, climb, or travel on.

Example

Liang struggled to cycle up the steep road that led into the hills.

collocation: steep road / steep hill / steep path

A steep set of stone steps connected the old town to the beach below.

Common collocations
  • steep hill
  • steep slope
  • steep path
  • steep steps
  • steep cliff
  • steep bank
  • steep driveway
  • steep staircase
Synonyms
  • sheer

    more extreme than steep — describes a surface that is nearly vertical

  • precipitous

    more formal and dramatic; suggests a dangerously steep drop

  • sharp

    used for angles rather than whole surfaces; a sharp incline

Antonyms
  • gentle

    describes a slope that rises or falls slowly

  • gradual

    describes a change in height that happens bit by bit

Usage Note

Frequently used to describe terrain, stairs, or roads that are difficult to climb. Can be modified by very, quite, extremely, or too.

Common Mistakes

The mountain is very steeped.
The mountain is very steep.
'steeped' is a different word meaning soaked in liquid or saturated with influence.

2. happening very quickly and by a large amount — used especially for changes in nu

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

happening very quickly and by a large amount — used especially for changes in numbers, prices, levels, or quantities moving sharply in one direction.

Example

The company reported a steep drop in sales after the product recall.

collocation: steep drop / steep fall / steep decline

There has been a steep rise in the cost of renting an apartment in Taipei.

Common collocations
  • steep rise
  • steep fall
  • steep drop
  • steep decline
  • steep increase
  • steep decrease
  • steep climb
Synonyms
  • sharp

    interchangeable in many contexts; a sharp rise sounds slightly more sudden

  • dramatic

    emphasises the surprising or striking nature of the change

  • drastic

    suggests the change is severe and may have negative effects

Antonyms
  • gradual

    describes a change that happens slowly over time

  • modest

    describes a change that is small in amount

Usage Note

Commonly modifies nouns such as rise, fall, drop, increase, and decline. Typically used in business, economics, and data-reporting contexts. Not used for physical slopes.

Common Mistakes

There was a steep mountain in prices.
There was a steep rise in prices.
this sense does not describe physical mountains; use steep with a change noun like rise, fall, or drop.

3. much higher than what most people think is fair or reasonable — used especially

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

much higher than what most people think is fair or reasonable — used especially when complaining about the cost of something.

Example

The rent for that small flat was too steep for a student to afford.

collocation: too steep / steep rent / steep price

Customers complained that the restaurant's prices were steep for such small portions.

Common collocations
  • steep price
  • steep rent
  • steep fee
  • steep cost
  • steep tuition
  • steep admission
  • steep rates
Synonyms
  • expensive

    neutral and more general; steep adds a subjective sense of unfairness

  • exorbitant

    stronger and more formal; suggests the price is shockingly high

  • outrageous

    very informal; expresses anger at the price

Antonyms

Usage Note

Restricted to prices, fees, rents, and costs — not used for other kinds of excess. This sense is informal and often carries a tone of complaint.

Common Mistakes

The hotel price is very steeped.
The hotel price is very steep.
'steeped' is the past participle of the verb steep (to soak), not the adjective.

steep — noun

steep — verb

Word family

  • steeply
    adverbB2
  • steepness
    nounB2
  • steepen
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Steep, sheer, precipitous, and sharp all describe angles or inclines, but they differ in degree and context. Steep is the most general word — it describes any slope that is hard to climb, from a residential driveway to a mountain trail. Sheer is much stronger and means nearly vertical: a sheer cliff drops straight down with almost no angle. Precipitous is more formal and dramatic than steep; it often appears in literary or news writing and suggests a dangerously sudden drop. Sharp is used for short, concentrated inclines — a sharp bend or a sharp rise in a road — rather than for an entire slope. For example: the hikers tackled a steep trail through the forest, then stopped at a sheer rock face that no one could climb.

steep ↗sheer ↗precipitoussharp ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • very steep
  • quite steep
  • extremely steep
  • too steep
  • fairly steep
  • remarkably steep

Phrases

  • too steep for [someone/something]
  • steep by any standard
  • steep compared to

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The adjective steep comes from Old English stēap, meaning 'tall, lofty, or deep' and later 'having a sharp slope'. It is related to Old High German stouf ('cliff') and Old Norse staup ('a steep place'). The verb steep (meaning 'to soak'), on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, but over centuries the two words merged in form so that they are now written and pronounced identically in modern English.