# slope

/ˈsɫoʊp/ (US) · /slˈəʊp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slope
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. inclined ground

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- The children spent the afternoon sledding down the snowy slope behind their house.
- The hikers struggled to maintain their footing on the steep, muddy slope as the rain intensified during the final ascent.

### 2. degree of slant

noun · CEFR B2

the amount or angle by which something slopes.

For teachers: the degree or measure of inclination from the horizontal.

- The roof has a very sharp slope to help the heavy snow slide off easily.
- The architect adjusted the slope of the access ramp to ensure it complied with local accessibility regulations for wheelchair users.

### 3. mathematical ratio

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

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

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

- In this equation, the letter 'm' represents the slope of the line.
- Students were asked to calculate the slope of the tangent line at various points along the curve to determine the rate of change.

### 4. to slant

verb · CEFR B1

to go up or down at an angle.

For teachers: to incline or slant away from the vertical or horizontal plane.

- The garden slopes gently down toward the river at the bottom of the hill.
- The floor of the old theatre slopes toward the stage, providing every member of the audience with an unobstructed view of the performance.

### 5. to move surreptitiously

verb · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

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

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

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

### 6. offensive slur

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Vulgar

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

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

- The film was criticized for including characters who used racial slurs like slope.
- The use of the term slope in the historical document highlights the pervasive xenophobia of that particular era.

Teaching 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.

## Examples

- The children love to slide down the grassy slope.
- The architect designed a ramp with a gentle slope to ensure the building was accessible to wheelchair users.
- Advanced skiers often prefer the steep, icy slopes of the mountain's north face, where the lack of direct sunlight preserves the snow's challenging texture throughout the day.

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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.