ENGLISH
REFERENCE

slope

n. · v.
US //ˈsɫoʊp// UK //slˈəʊp// slope
  1. 1 inclined ground (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a piece of ground or a surface that is higher at one end than the other.

    a surface or stretch of ground that deviates from the horizontal by tending upward or downward.

    Example

    The children spent the afternoon sledding down the snowy slope behind their house.

    Example

    The hikers struggled to maintain their footing on the steep, muddy slope as the rain intensified during the final ascent.
  2. 2 degree of slant (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the amount or angle by which something slopes.

    the degree or measure of inclination from the horizontal.

    Example

    The roof has a very sharp slope to help the heavy snow slide off easily.

    Example

    The architect adjusted the slope of the access ramp to ensure it complied with local accessibility regulations for wheelchair users.
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  1. 3 mathematical ratio (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Math

    a number that shows how steep a straight line is on a graph.

    the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change between two points on a line.

    Example

    In this equation, the letter 'm' represents the slope of the line.

    Example

    Students were asked to calculate the slope of the tangent line at various points along the curve to determine the rate of change.
  2. 4 to slant (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to go up or down at an angle.

    to incline or slant away from the vertical or horizontal plane.

    Example

    The garden slopes gently down toward the river at the bottom of the hill.

    Example

    The floor of the old theatre slopes toward the stage, providing every member of the audience with an unobstructed view of the performance.
  3. 5 to move surreptitiously (v.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Informal

    to leave or move somewhere quietly so that nobody notices you.

    to move or depart in a quiet, stealthy, or surreptitious manner, often to avoid work or detection.

    Example

    He tried to slope off early before the boss could give him more work.

    Example

    Rather than staying to help with the cleanup, several guests managed to slope away into the night as soon as the music stopped.

    Usage

    often used with 'off' or 'away'
  4. 6 offensive slur (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Vulgar

    a very offensive and rude word for someone from East Asia.

    a highly offensive, derogatory racial slur directed at people of East Asian descent.

    Example

    The film was criticized for including characters who used racial slurs like slope.

    Example

    The use of the term slope in the historical document highlights the pervasive xenophobia of that particular era.

    Teacher's tip

    This term is a severe racial slur; learners should be aware of its offensive nature to avoid using it and to recognize it as hate speech.

Origin

From aslope (adjective, adverb).

Word family

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