deep means extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively. It carries an Arena rating of 1622, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, deep ranks #2 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #10,054 of 17,115 for Most Vivid Words, #13,965 of 17,114 for Most Satisfying to Say.
deep is pronounced /diːp/.
Why “deep” is a great word
Extending far down from a top or outer surface, or far inward from an external boundary. From Middle English dep, deep, from Old English dēop ("deep, profound"), from Proto-West Germanic *deup, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz ("deep"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-nós, from *dʰewbʰ- ("deep"). Unlike shallow, which flatly denies vertical or inward reach, or superficial, which indicts a lack of substance in thought or feeling, deep is a word of presence, of something being substantially and often hiddenly there. It is the chill that rises from a well whose bottom the dropped pebble never finds; the green-black silence where light surrenders; the ache of an old sorrow folded into the strata of the self. It is the measure of all that is not immediately knowable.
Etymology
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
adj
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively.e.g.“The lake is extremely deep.”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Positioned far from the surface or other reference point, especially down through something or into something.e.g.“Diving down to deep wrecks can be dangerous.”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Far in extent in another (non-downwards, but generally also non-upwards) direction, especially front-to-back.e.g.“The shelves are 30 centimetres deep. — They are deep shelves.”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Extending to a level or length equivalent to the stated thing.e.g.“The water was waist-deep.”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; In a (specified) number of rows or layers.e.g.“a crowd four deep along the funeral procession, with people two deep on the sidewalks”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Voluminous.e.g.“to take a deep breath / sigh / drink”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; 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.e.g.“He is fielding at deep mid wicket.”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Penetrating a long way, especially a long way forward.e.g.“a deep volley”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Positioned back, or downfield, towards one's own goal, or towards or behind one's baseline or similar reference point.e.g.“Our defensive live is too deep. We need to move further up the field.”
- Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.; Further into the body.e.g.“the brachialis is deep to the biceps”
- Complex, involved.; Profound, having great meaning or import, but possibly obscure or not obvious.e.g.“That is a deep thought!”
- Complex, involved.; Significant, not superficial, in extent.e.g.“Your analysis does not cut deep enough yet.”
- Complex, involved.; Hard to penetrate or comprehend; profound; intricate; obscure.e.g.“a deep subject or plot”
- Complex, involved.; Of penetrating or far-reaching intellect; not superficial; thoroughly skilled; sagacious; cunning.
- Complex, involved.; Inner, underlying, true; relating to one’s inner or private being rather than what is visible on the surface.
adv
- Far, especially far down through something or into something, physically or figuratively.e.g.“The ogre lived in a cave deep underground.”
- In a profound, not superficial, manner.e.g.“I thought long and deep.”
- In large volume.e.g.“breathe deep, drink deep”
- Back towards one's own goal, baseline, or similar.e.g.“He's normally a midfield player, but today he's playing deep.”
noun
- The deep part of a lake, sea or ocean.e.g.“creatures of the deep”
- The sea, the ocean.e.g.“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?”
- A deep hole or pit, a water well; an abyss.e.g.“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.”
- A deep or innermost part of something in general.e.g.“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?”
- A silent time; quiet isolation.e.g.“the deep of night”
- A deep shade of colour.e.g.“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 […]”
- The profound part of a problem.
- A fielding position near the boundary.e.g.“Russell is a safe pair of hands in the deep.”
verb
- To overthink; to treat as being deeper (“more profound, significant”) than in reality.e.g.“― Ugh, why are these road markings so awfully arranged?
― Quit deeping it bro, just drive, innit.”
- To think about, especially deeply (“profoundly”); to consider.e.g.“No Picasso, I don't care about resistance (Deep dat).”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.