ENGLISH
REFERENCE

steep

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈstip// UK //stˈiːp// steep Archaic General-service Informal

n. rising or falling very quickly at a sharp angle. You use this to describe hills, stairs, or even a sudden change in prices.

n. rising or falling with a sharp slope or gradient; also used figuratively to describe prices or demands that are excessively high.


SIMPLE

The hill is too steep for me to climb easily.

CONTEXTUAL

The hikers struggled to reach the summit because the final section of the trail was incredibly steep and rocky.

COMPLEX

Economists warned that the steep rise in interest rates would likely dampen consumer spending and slow down the housing market over the next fiscal year.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Commonly modifies nouns like 'hill', 'climb', 'slope', 'price', or 'increase'.

Pitfall

The hill is very steeplyThe hill is very steepLearners sometimes use the adverb form 'steeply' when the sentence requires an adjective to describe the noun.

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