verb
Meaning 1
To make steeper.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
steepen
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈstiː.pən/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
verb
Meaning 2
To become steeper.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- As the way steepened [...] I could detect in the hollow of the hill some traces of the old path.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
make steeper
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The landslides have steepened the mountain sides
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
verb
Meaning 4
become steeper
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The mountain side has steepened
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change
History
Etymology
From steep + -en. Compare Old English stīepan (“to steepen”).
Across languages
Translations
4 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: правя по-стръмен (pravja po-strǎmen) — to make steeper
- German: steiler machen — to make steeper
- Irish: géaraigh — to make steeper
- Māori: mānihi — to make steeper