What does steeply mean?
Steeply is an adverb meaning at a steep angle or with a sharp rise or fall. It describes movement such as climbing, descending, or sloping, and can also describe a rapid change: a price may increase steeply, or demand may fall steeply. The word is straightforward and neutral in tone, used in ordinary English as well as in news, economics, geography, and technical writing. Because it combines the idea of inclination with the idea of speed or intensity, it can make a description more vivid without adding an evaluative judgment. When paired with a verb such as rise, fall, climb, or descend, steeply indicates the sharpness of the movement or slope; with increase or decrease, it emphasizes a substantial and often rapid change. Its related forms include the adjective steep, the noun steepness, and the verb steepen.
adverbAt a steep angle or with a steep rise. In figurative use, steeply means sharply or rapidly, especially with regard to a change.
- At a steep angle or with a sharp upward or downward movement.
- Sharply or rapidly, especially with reference to an increase, decrease, or change.
"The road climbed steeply into the mountains."
"The plane descended steeply through the cloud layer."
"Demand for the product increased steeply after the campaign began."
Steeply turns a simple direction into a dramatic one: a slope can rise steeply, and a number can rise steeply too.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does steeply come from?
Steeply derives from steep, an adjective meaning high or sharply inclined. Steep comes from Old English stēap, an Old English word for a steep or high place, and is related cognately to forms in other Germanic languages, including Dutch steil and German steil. The modern adverb formation using the suffix -ly followed the adjective and has long been used in both literal and figurative senses.
Related word forms
How steeply is actually used
The adverb is neutral in register. It is commonly used with verbs such as rise, fall, climb, descend, and increase, and is especially frequent in descriptions of movement, terrain, prices, and rates of change.
Easily confused with steeply
Steep is an adjective describing a sharp incline or a steep rise, whereas steeply is the adverb describing the manner of moving or changing in that way.