deep (deeper comparative) (deepest superlative )
1 adj If something is deep, it extends a long way down from the ground or from the top surface of something., (Antonym: shallow)
The water is very deep and mysterious-looking..., Den had dug a deep hole in the centre of the garden..., Kelly swore quietly, looking at the deep cut on his left hand., ...a deep ravine.
Deep is also an adverb., adv ADV prep/adv, ADV after v
Deep in the earth's crust the rock may be subjected to temperatures high enough to melt it..., Gingerly, she put her hand in deeper, to the bottom.
deeply adv ADV after v, ADV adj/-ed
There isn't time to dig deeply and put in manure or compost...
2 adj A deep container, such as a cupboard, extends or measures a long distance from front to back.
The wardrobe was very deep.
3 adj You use deep to talk or ask about how much something measures from the surface to the bottom, or from front to back.
amount ADJ, n ADJ, how ADJ, as ADJ as, ADJ-compar than
I found myself in water only three feet deep..., The mud is ankle deep around Shush Square..., How deep did the snow get?
Deep is also a combining form., comb in adj
...an inch-deep stab wound.
4 adv Deep in an area means a long way inside it.
ADV prep/adv, ADV after v
They were now deep inside rebel territory.
5 adv If you say that things or people are two, three, or fourdeep, you mean that there are two, three, or four rows or layers of them there.
num ADV
A crowd three deep seemed paralysed by the images on these monitors...
6 adj You use deep to emphasize the seriousness, strength, importance, or degree of something.
usu ADJ n (emphasis)
(=profound)
I had a deep admiration for Sartre..., He wants to express his deep sympathy to the family.
deeply adv
(=profoundly)
Our meetings and conversations left me deeply depressed...
7 adv If you experience or feel something deepinside you or deepdown, you feel it very strongly even though you do not necessarily show it.
ADV prep/adv, ADV with cl
Deep down, she supported her husband's involvement in the organization.
8 adj If you are in a deep sleep, you are sleeping peacefully and it is difficult to wake you.
ADJ n (Antonym: light)
Una soon fell into a deep sleep.
deeply adv ADV after v
She slept deeply but woke early.
9 adj If you are deep in thought or deep in conversation, you are concentrating very hard on what you are thinking or saying and are not aware of the things that are happening around you.
v-link ADJ in n
Abby had been so deep in thought that she had walked past her aunt's car without even seeing it...
10 adj A deep breath or sigh uses or fills the whole of your lungs.
ADJ n
Cal took a long, deep breath, struggling to control his own emotions...
deeply adv ADV after v
She sighed deeply and covered her face with her hands.
11 comb in colour You use deep to describe colours that are strong and fairly dark., (Antonym: pale)
The sky was deep blue and starry...
Deep is also an adjective., adj usu ADJ n (Antonym: pale)
...deep colours.
12 adj A deep sound is low in pitch., (Antonym: high)
His voice was deep and mellow..., They heard a deep, distant roar.
13 adj If you describe someone as deep, you mean that they are quiet and reserved in a way that makes you think that they have good qualities such as intelligence or determination., (Antonym: shallow)
James is a very deep individual...
14 adj If you describe something such as a problem or a piece of writing as deep, you mean that it is important, serious, or complicated.
They're written as adventure stories. They're not intended to be deep.
15 adv If you are deepin debt, you have a lot of debts.
ADV in/into n
He is so deep in debt and desperate for money that he's apparently willing to say anything...
deeply adv ADV in/into n
Because of her medical and her legal bills, she is now penniless and deeply in debt.
16 If you know something deep down or deep down inside, you know that it is true, but you are not always conscious of it or willing to admit it to yourself.
deep down phrase PHR after v, PHR with cl
We knew deep down that we could do it..., Deep down, we had always detested each other.
17 If you say that you took a deep breath before doing something dangerous or frightening, you mean that you tried to make yourself feel strong and confident.
take a deep breath phrase V inflects
I took a deep breath and went in.
18 If you say that something goes deep or runs deep, you mean that it is very serious or strong and is hard to change.
go/run deep phrase V inflects
His anger and anguish clearly went deep...
19 →
in at the deep end →
end →
in deep water →
water
deep freeze (deep freezes plural ), deep-freeze A deep freeze is the same as a freezer. n-count
deep-fry (deep-fries 3rd person present) (deep-frying present participle) (deep-fried past tense & past participle )If you deep-fry food, you fry it in a large amount of fat or oil. verb
Heat the oil and deep-fry the fish fillets. V n
deep-rooted
Deep-rooted means the same as deep-seated. adj usu ADJ n
...long-term solutions to a deep-rooted problem.
deep-sea
Deep-sea activities take place in the areas of the sea that are a long way from the coast. adj ADJ n
...deep-sea diving., ...a deep-sea fisherman.
deep-seated
A deep-seated problem, feeling, or belief is difficult to change because its causes have been there for a long time. adj usu ADJ n
The country is still suffering from deep-seated economic problems.
deep-set
Deep-set eyes seem to be further back in the face than most people's eyes.
WRITTEN adj usu ADJ n
He had deep-set brown eyes.
deep-six (deep-sixes 3rd person present) (deep-sixing present participle) (deep-sixed past tense & past participle )To deep-six something means to get rid of it or destroy it.
(mainly AM)
INFORMAL verb
I'd simply like to deep-six this whole project. V n
Deep South
TheDeep South consists of the states that are furthest south in the United States. n-sing the N
deep vein thrombosis (deep vein thromboses plural )Deep vein thrombosis is a serious medical condition caused by blood clots in the legs moving up to the lungs. The abbreviation DVT is also used. (MEDICAL) n-var
He could have died after developing deep vein thrombosis during a flight to Sydney.
knee-deep
1 adj Something that is knee-deep is as high as your knees.
The water was only knee-deep.
2 adj If a person or a place is knee-deepin something such as water, the level of the water comes up to a person's knees.
v-link ADJ in n, ADJ after v
They spent much of their time knee-deep in mud...
skin deep , skin-deep
Something that is only skin deep is not a major or important feature of something, although it may appear to be. adj usu v-link ADJ
Beauty is only skin deep...
