STEEP Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'steep' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of steep are abrupt , precipitous , and sheer . While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult. // a steep hill // a steep dive

Q: When would 'abrupt' be a good substitute for 'steep'?

In some situations, the words abrupt and steep are roughly equivalent. However, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level. // a beach with an abrupt drop-off

Q: When might 'precipitous' be a better fit than 'steep'?

While in some cases nearly identical to steep , precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical. // the river winds through a precipitous gorge

Q: When is it sensible to use 'sheer' instead of 'steep'?

Although the words sheer and steep have much in common, sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse. // sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

steep 1 of 3

adjective

ˈstēp

Definition of steep

as in mountainous

having an incline approaching the perpendicular a very steep rock face that is nearly impossible to climb

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in excessive

going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount we would like to hire him, but his salary demands are just too steep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

steep

2 of 3

verb

as in to suffuse

to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle grew up steeped in the ways of his ancestors a town steeped in history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid chew fresh ginger that has been steeped in hot water to aid digestion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

steep

3 of 3

noun

as in cliff

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word steep different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of steep are abrupt, precipitous, and sheer. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill

a steep dive

When would abrupt be a good substitute for steep?

In some situations, the words abrupt and steep are roughly equivalent. However, abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

When might precipitous be a better fit than steep?

While in some cases nearly identical to steep, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

When is it sensible to use sheer instead of steep?

Although the words sheer and steep have much in common, sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of steep

Adjective

Throw in thermoregulating base layers The price of this shirt seems steep. — Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026 The toasty temperatures and steep, brushy terrain initially led the fire to spread quickly, according to Torres. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

In 15,000 square feet over two stories, the emporium will introduce diners to culinary highlights from throughout Asia, much like how its mall neighbor, Eataly, has steeped diners in the regional specialties of Italy. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 Allow to steep chilled for 12 hours or overnight. — Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Noun

Plus, the compliance infrastructure required makes the cost of entry steep. — Sulolit Raj Mukherjee, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2026 Lusti and Pierrel must be hyper-fixated on precision, because every single body movement on a rock face that steep comes with consequences. — Frederick Dreier, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for steep

Recent Examples of Synonyms for steep

Adjective

That could prolong heavy rain and raise the risk of flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.

— Reuters, NBC news, 9 Aug. 2026
The National Weather Service office in Sacramento has issued a heat advisory for the entire Central Valley, and mountainous portions of Northern California, through Sunday evening amid a forecast for the hottest temperatures so far this summer.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of mountainous

Adjective

San Francisco police officers would then proceed to smash the driver's window, drag the driver out and pepper-spray him — actions that a San Francisco Department of Police Accountability (DPA) report states were excessive.

— Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Even as the busy restaurant bar reaches blatantly excessive noise levels even before Ninh’s fully done with his equipment, neighboring businesses are already having their patience tested.

— Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of excessive

Verb

After setting her wildly popular debut The Tiger's Wife in a Balkans suffused with myth and magic, the author turned in subsequent books to the Old West and a city redolent of New York.

— Colin Dwyer, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
The threat is still there, suffused into the air like a memory, but for a time the choice between love and survival no longer feels mutually exclusive to Nino and Yasmina.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 July 2026

Definition of suffuse

Verb

Overnight oats are nutritionally similar to classic oatmeal—the main difference is that they’re soaked instead of cooked.

— Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 7 Aug. 2026
Rodong Sinmun this week revisited a 2013 summer inspection of a construction site, where Kim’s clothes were said to have become soaked with sweat.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of soak

Noun

Avalanche deaths can also occur through blunt force trauma as the snow slides slam into people and sweep them into trees or boulders, or in some cases over cliff edges.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026
However, the population of little red dots drops off a cliff at redshifts equating to less than 12 billion years ago.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of cliff

Adjective

To an outsider, and in isolation, some of these habits may not seem so extreme—Reddit peptides excepted.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026
North of the border, in British Columbia, hundreds more homes were lost this week, and 15,000 people are currently under evacuation, with extreme fire weather conditions predicted to worsen in the coming days.

— John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of extreme

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steely

steep

steeped

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“Steep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steep. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of steep

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verb

noun

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