deep

Far, especially far down through something or into something, physically or figuratively.

Adjective

  1. Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
    • The lake is extremely deep.
    • We hiked into a deep valley between tall mountains.
    • There was a deep layer of dust on the floor; the room had not been disturbed for many years.

    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.

      • Diving down to deep wrecks can be dangerous.
      • I can't get the bullet out – it's too deep.

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

      • The shelves are 30 centimetres deep. — They are deep shelves.
      • That cyclist's deep chest allows him to draw more air.

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

      • The water was waist-deep.
      • There is an arm-deep hole in the wall.

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

      • a crowd four deep along the funeral procession, with people two deep on the sidewalks
      • The fleet of ships was fifty sail deep.

    6. Voluminous.

      • to take a deep breath / sigh / drink
      • Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes.[…]She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now,...

    7. (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.

      • He is fielding at deep mid wicket.
      • She hit a ball into deep center field.

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

      • a deep volley
      • a deep run into the opposition half

    9. (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.

      • Our defensive live is too deep. We need to move further up the field.
      • She returns serve from a very deep position.

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

      • the brachialis is deep to the biceps
      • The superficial fascia surrounds the body and includes subcutaneous fat; the deep fascia surrounds the musculoskeletal system; the meningeal fascia surrounds the nervous system; the visceral fascia surrounds body...

      Antonyms: superficial

  2. Complex, involved.
    • That is a deep thought!

    1. Profound, having great meaning or import, but possibly obscure or not obvious.

    2. Significant, not superficial, in extent.

      • Your analysis does not cut deep enough yet.
      • They're in deep discussion.
      • And it's me you need to show / How deep is your love? - 1977, “How Deep is Your Love”, performed by Bee Gees:

    3. Hard to penetrate or comprehend; profound; intricate; obscure.

      • a deep subject or plot
      • 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. - c. 1840, Thomas De Quincey

    4. Of penetrating or far-reaching intellect; not superficial; thoroughly skilled; sagacious; cunning.

      • Deepe clearks ſhe dumb's - c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for...
      • I never said I was deep, but I am profoundly shallow / My lack of knowledge is vast, and my horizons are narrow - 2009, Jarvis Cocker, “I Never Said I Was Deep”, in Further Complications.:

    5. Inner, underlying, true; relating to one’s inner or private being rather than what is visible on the surface.

      • Or doth she only seem to take ⁠The touch of change in calm or storm; ⁠But knows no more of transient form In her deep self, than some dead lake That holds the shadow of a lark ⁠Hung in the shadow of a heaven? - 1850,...
  3. Low in pitch.
    • She has a very deep contralto voice.
    • The departure was not unduly prolonged.[…]Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments on the subject of Divine Intention in the disposition of buckets; farewells and last...
  4. Highly saturated; rich.
    • That's a very deep shade of blue.
    • The spices impart a deep flavour to the dish.
    • The day was cool and snappy for August, and the Rise all green with a lavish nature. Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold...
  5. Sound, heavy (describing a state of sleep from which one is not easily awoken).
    • He was in a deep sleep.
  6. Muddy; boggy; sandy; said of roads.
    • The ways in that vale were very deep. - 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, (please specify |book=I to XVI), in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford,...
  7. Distant in the past, ancient.
    • deep time
    • in the deep past

Origin

From Middle English dep, deep, depe, 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”). Cognates Cognate with Scots depe (“deep”), North Frisian diip, jip (“deep”), Saterland Frisian djoop (“deep”), West Frisian djip (“deep”), Alemannic German tüüf (“deep”), Central Franconian deef, deep (“deep”), Dutch diep (“deep”), German tief (“deep”), Luxembourgish déif (“deep”), Mòcheno tiaf (“deep”), Vilamovian tif, tīf, tiif (“deep”), Yiddish טיף (tif, “deep”), Danish dyb (“deep”), Faroese and Icelandic djúpur (“deep”), Norwegian Bokmål djup, dyp (“deep”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish djup (“deep”), Scanian djyber (“deep”), Gothic 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐍀𐍃 (diups, “deep”), Lithuanian dubùs (“deep, hollow”), Albanian det...

Forms

deeper more deep deepest most deep deepe

Synonyms

heavy meaningful profound thick great large voluminous low low-pitched bright rich vivid fast deep

Antonyms

shallow frivolous light superficial thin small high high-pitched piping pale desaturated washed-out tall

Hypernyms

long

Hyponyms

ankle-deep balls-deep knee-deep lip-deep neck-deep skin-deep waist-deep abysmal abyssal bottomless depthless fathomless soundless unfathomable unplumbed unsoundable cavernous chasmic

Related

high tall thick wide deeps deep-seated deep six fundus in deep shit out of one's depth subaqueous subterranean infinite

Derived

ace of the deep a mile wide and an inch deep ankle-deep balls deep balls-deep between the devil and the deep blue sea bone-deep deep abscess deep adaptation deep and meaningful deep auricular artery deep background deep blue deep brain stimulation deep breathing deep-breathing deep-browed deep cervical artery deep clean deep cleaner deep cleaning deep color deep colour deep copy

Adverb

  1. Far, especially far down through something or into something, physically or figuratively.
    • The ogre lived in a cave deep underground.
    • We ventured deep into the forest.
    • His problems lie deep in the subconscious.
  2. In a profound, not superficial, manner.
    • I thought long and deep.
    • deep-laid
    • Deep verſt in books and ſhallow in himſelf, - 1671, John Milton, “The Fourth Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […],...
  3. In large volume.
    • breathe deep, drink deep
    • A little Learning is a dang'rous Thing; / Drink deep, or taſte not the Pierian Spring: - 1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas]...
  4. Back towards one's own goal, baseline, or similar.
    • He's normally a midfield player, but today he's playing deep.

Forms

deeper more deep deepest most deep deepe

Derived

bat deep

Noun

  1. The deep part of a lake, sea or ocean.
    • creatures of the deep
  2. The sea, the ocean.
    • How few! yet how they creep / Through my fingers to the deep, / While I weep—while I weep! / O God! can I not grasp / Them with a tighter clasp? - 1849 March 31, Edgar Allan Poe, “A Dream Within a Dream”, in The Works...
  3. A deep hole or pit, a water well; an abyss.
    • Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. - Psalm 42 verse 7
  4. A deep or innermost part of something in general.
    • And what delights can equal those ⁠That stir the spirit’s inner deeps, ⁠When one that loves but knows not, reaps A truth from one that loves and knows? - 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XLI”, in In Memoriam,...
  5. A silent time; quiet isolation.
    • the deep of night
  6. A deep shade of colour.
    • For our blues we have the azures and ceruleans, lapis lazulis, the light and dusty, the powder blues, the deeps: royal, sapphire, navy, and marine […] - 2014, William H. Gass, On Being Blue: A Philosophical Inquiry,...
  7. The profound part of a problem.
  8. A fielding position near the boundary.
    • Russell is a safe pair of hands in the deep.

Forms

deeps deepe

Related

beauty is only skin deep deap sea deep background deep blue sea deep copy deep down deep drawing deep end deep fat deep freezer deep in the money deep in thought deep kiss deep link deep out of the money deep pockets Deep South deep space deep structure deep supporting fire deep thinker Deep Thought Deep Throat deep vein thrombosis

Derived

rapture of the deep

Verb

  1. To overthink; to treat as being deeper (“more profound, significant”) than in reality.
    • ― Ugh, why are these road markings so awfully arranged? ― Quit deeping it bro, just drive, innit.
  2. To think about, especially deeply (“profoundly”); to consider.
    • No Picasso, I don't care about resistance (Deep dat). - 2019 October 25, “Fact”performed by J. Mulla, MBandz:
    • I think I better leave it. I don't wanna beat it, this is not a Michael phase. Every time I deep it, man dem wan' eat it. Trying to recycle, babe. - 2020 February 10, “Daffy Duckin'”performed by Angel, Chaz Marcus:
    • I grew up so fucked but I didn't even deep it. I'm numb to the feelin' of grievin'. - 2021 July 23, “Heart Attack” (track 11), in We're All Alone In This Together, performed by Dave:

Forms

deeps deeping deeped deepe

Related

deeps