- 1(of a slope, hill, etc.) rising or falling quickly, not gradually a steep hill/slope/bank a steep climb/descent/drop a steep flight of stairs The path grew steeper as we climbed higher.
- 2[usually before noun] (of a rise or fall in an amount) sudden and very big synonym sharp a steep decline in the birth rate a steep increase in unemployment
- 3(informal) (of a price or demand) too much; unreasonable synonym expensive $5 for a cup of coffee seems a little steep to me.
adverb a steeply sloping roof The path climbed steeply upward. Prices rose steeply.
noun [uncountable]See steep in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: steep