DEEP Synonyms: 461 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'deep' different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and wide are common synonyms of deep . While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point. // a deep cupboard // deep woods

Q: Where would 'broad' be a reasonable alternative to 'deep'?

The meanings of broad and deep largely overlap; however, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered. // broad shoulders

Q: When is it sensible to use 'wide' instead of 'deep'?

In some situations, the words wide and deep are roughly equivalent. However, wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits. // rugs eight feet wide // a wide doorway

deep 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdēp

Definition of deep next

as in profound

extending far downward lowered their bucket down a deep well the ax made a deep cut into the wood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in low

having a low musical pitch or range the tour guide had an impressively deep voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mysterious

being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain a deep, dark secret that he took to his grave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in esoteric

difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand her poetry is now regarded as sentimental and not very deep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ambiguous

having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning one of those deep passages in the Bible that can be interpreted in any number of different ways

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect fell into a deep sleep after taking the potion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rooted

firmly established over time a deep devotion to obtaining justice for all, even society's most disadvantaged

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in extensive

having considerable extent an economist with a deep understanding of the forces that propel the global economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in immersed

having the mind fixed on something I was so deep in the mystery novel that I didn't hear the doorbell

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in away

not close in time or space an episode in her deep past that she had never spoken about, even to her husband

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deep

2 of 2

noun

as in midst

the most intense or characteristic phase of something the kind of cold weather that we usually have only in the deep of winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in sea

the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three-fourths of the earth sailors exploring the farther reaches of the briny deep

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in abyss

an immeasurable depth or space the belief that somewhere in the deep of outer space humankind will meet its ultimate destiny

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deep different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and wide are common synonyms of deep. While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

a deep cupboard

deep woods

Where would broad be a reasonable alternative to deep?

The meanings of broad and deep largely overlap; however, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

broad shoulders

When is it sensible to use wide instead of deep?

In some situations, the words wide and deep are roughly equivalent. However, wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits.

rugs eight feet wide

a wide doorway

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deep

Adjective

Graziano, however, highlighted that the ties between the two are deeper than meets the eye. —

Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025 Tonight, the two of them shared deep conversations about their comparable childhoods, but their growth still felt profoundly superficial and almost forced. —

Chloé Brown, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025

Noun

Then, in the meeting, see what resonates and dig in deep. —

Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 Unfortunately, the water wouldn't be of much use to anyone trying to tap into it to supply a future Mars colony, according to a statement from the University of California, Berkeley, which added that even on Earth, drilling a hole a half-mile deep is difficult. —

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deep

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deep

Adjective

James Kariuki, the United Kingdom’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., said Haiti’s violence and political instability are having a profound effect on Haitians.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued an important update to its rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the implications are profound.

— David Gasparyan, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025