steep

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /stiːp/ See IPA manual

Freq #9948

Meanings

1

adj
Rising or falling sharply at a high angle.

We climbed the steep attic stairs.
2

adj
Much more expensive than expected.

Twenty pounds for a haircut is a bit steep.
3

verb
To leave something in a liquid for a while to soak or to release flavor.

Steep the tea leaves in hot water for five minutes.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 verb · to leave something in a... infuse

More branthilly

Word family

Forms steepedsteepersteepeststeepingsteepnesssteeps

Derived forms ensteepinsteepresteeprot-steepsteep-downsteepablesteepensteeple steeplysteepnesssteepyunsteep

Etymology

From Middle English steep, from Old English stēap (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, stick”). Compare Old Frisian stāp ("high, towering"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)), Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”), Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”), Middle High German stief (“steep”)). The Proto-Indo-European root (and related) has many and varied descendants, including English stub; compare also Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”). The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested…

steep Middle English stēap Old English *staupaz Proto-Germanic *(s)tewb- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# steep

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** /stiːp/
**Frequency rank:** 9948

## Meanings
1. Rising or falling sharply at a high angle.
2. Much more expensive than expected.
3. To leave something in a liquid for a while to soak or to release flavor.

## Examples
- We climbed the steep attic stairs.
- Twenty pounds for a haircut is a bit steep.
- Steep the tea leaves in hot water for five minutes.

## Synonyms
- brant
- hilly

## Derived Forms
- ensteep
- insteep
- resteep
- rot-steep
- steep-down
- steepable
- steepen
- steeple
- steeply
- steepness
- steepy
- unsteep

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: steep
- Root: stēap
- Root: *staupaz
- Root: *(s)tewb-

## Etymology
From Middle English steep, from Old English stēap (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, stick”). Compare Old Frisian stāp ("high, towering"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)), Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”), Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”), Middle High German stief (“steep”)). The Proto-Indo-European root (and related) has many and varied descendants, including English stub; compare also Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”). The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested…

## AI Etymology
Steep is from Middle English steep, from Old English stēap (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, stick”). Compare Old Frisian stāp ("high, towering"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)), Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”), Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”), Middle High German stief (“steep”)). The Proto-Indo-European root (and related) has many and varied descendants, including English stub; compare also Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”).

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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