deep

English Online Dictionary. What means deep‎? What does deep mean?

English

Alternative forms

• deepe (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English depe, deep, dep, deop, from Old English dēop (“deep, profound; awful, mysterious; heinous; serious, solemn, earnest; extreme, great”), from Proto-West Germanic *deup, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz (“deep”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-nós, from *dʰewbʰ- (“deep”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: dēp, IPA^(key): /diːp/
• Rhymes: -iːp

Adjective

deep (comparative deeper or more deep, superlative deepest or most deep)

1. (of distance or position; also figurative) Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
   1. Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively.
   2. Positioned far from the surface or other reference point, especially down through something or into something.

   3. Far in extent in another (non-downwards, but generally also non-upwards) direction, especially front-to-back.

   4. (in combination) Extending to a level or length equivalent to the stated thing.

   5. In a (specified) number of rows or layers.

   6. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Thick.
   7. Voluminous.
   8. (cricket, baseball, softball) Far from the center of the playing area, near to the boundary of the playing area, either in absolute terms or relative to a point of reference.

   9. (sports such as soccer, tennis) Penetrating a long way, especially a long way forward.

   10. (sports such as soccer, American football, tennis) Positioned back, or downfield, towards one's own goal, or towards or behind one's baseline or similar reference point.

   12. (anatomy, often with to) Further into the body.

       Antonym: superficial

2. (intellectual, social) Complex, involved.
   1. Profound, having great meaning or import, but possibly obscure or not obvious.

   2. Significant, not superficial, in extent.

   3. Hard to penetrate or comprehend; profound; intricate; obscure.
      • c. 1840, Thomas De Quincey:

        Why it was that the ancients had no landscape painting, is a question deep almost as the mystery of life, and harder of solution than all the problems of jurisprudence combined.

   4. Of penetrating or far-reaching intellect; not superficial; thoroughly skilled; sagacious; cunning.
   5. Inner, underlying, true; relating to one’s inner or private being rather than what is visible on the surface.
3. (sound, voice) Low in pitch.
4. (of a color or flavour) Highly saturated; rich.
5. (sleep) Sound, heavy (describing a state of sleep from which one is not easily awoken).

6. Muddy; boggy; sandy; said of roads.
7. (of time) Distant in the past, ancient.

Synonyms

• (of a hole, water, etc):
• (having great meaning): heavy, meaningful, profound
• (thick in a vertical direction): thick
• (voluminous): great, large, voluminous
• (low in pitch): low, low-pitched
• (of a color, dark and highly saturated): bright, rich, vivid
• (of sleep): fast, heavy
• See also Thesaurus:deep

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “of a hole, water, etc”): shallow
• (antonym(s) of “having great meaning”): frivolous, light, shallow, superficial
• (antonym(s) of “in extent in a direction away from the observer”): shallow
• (antonym(s) of “thick in a vertical direction”): shallow, thin
• (antonym(s) of “voluminous”): shallow, small
• (antonym(s) of “low in pitch”): high, high-pitched, piping
• (antonym(s) of “of a color, dark and highly saturated”): light, pale, desaturated, washed-out
• (antonym(s) of “of sleep”): light

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Adverb

deep (comparative more deep or deeper, superlative most deep or deepest)

1. Far, especially far down through something or into something, physically or figuratively.
2. (also deeply) In a profound, not superficial, manner.
3. (also deeply) In large volume.

   breathe deep, drink deep
4. (sports) Back towards one's own goal, baseline, or similar.

Derived terms

• bat deep

Translations

Noun

deep (countable and uncountable, plural deeps)

1. (literary, with "the") The deep part of a lake, sea, etc.

2. (with "the") The sea, the ocean.
3. A deep hole or pit, a water well; an abyss.
   • Psalm 42 verse 7:

4. A deep or innermost part of something in general.
5. (literary, with "the") A silent time; quiet isolation.

6. (rare) A deep shade of colour.
7. (US, rare) The profound part of a problem.
8. (cricket) A fielding position near the boundary.

Derived terms

Translations

Related terms

See also

• deeps

References

• Deep on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Peed, peed

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• deef (northern Moselle Franconian; now predominant in Ripuarian)
• dief (southern Moselle Franconian)

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *deup. One of several Ripuarian relict words with an unshifted post-vocalic plosive. Compare Aap (“ape”), söke (“to seek”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deːp/

Adjective

deep (masculine deepe, feminine and plural deepe or deep, comparativer deeper, superlative et deepste)

1. (Ripuarian, archaic in many dialects) deep

Middle English

Adjective

deep

1. Alternative form of depe

Adverb

deep

1. Alternative form of depe

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From Middle Low German diep, from Old Saxon diop.

Adjective

deep

1. deep, profound