# deepen

/ˈdipən/ (US) · /dˈiːpən/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/deepen
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

to make something deeper or more intense. You can use it for physical things like a hole, or for feelings like love and understanding.

For teachers: to increase the depth of something physically or to intensify a quality, emotion, or relationship.

## Examples

- The workers need to deepen the well to find more water.
- The two countries signed a new trade agreement to deepen their economic ties and cooperation.
- As the investigation continued, the mystery began to deepen, revealing a complex web of secrets that the local authorities had ignored for decades.

## Usage notes

- Can be used both transitively (to deepen something) and intransitively (something deepens).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.