Dictionary

deepen en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdiːpən/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *deupaz Proto-West Germanic *deup Old English dēop Middle English dep English deep English -en English deepen From deep + -en.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make deep or deeper
   • They deepened the well by 200 feet.
2. (transitive) To make darker or more intense; to darken
   • The event deepened the prevailing gloom.
3. (transitive) To make more poignant or affecting; to increase in degree
   • News of her death deepened my sorrow.
4. (transitive) To make lower in tone
   • The tuner deepened the tone of the organ.
5. (transitive) To make more thorough or extensive.
   • The class deepened my understanding of the subject.
   • The AIDS crisis changes day by day, and the pamphlet was completed a year ago. Much remains to be deepened and updated: we recognize that, and would welcome discussion. 1988 February 21, Nancy Krieger, Rose Appleman, “Knee-jerk Anti-communism”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 31, page 4:
6. (transitive) To make more intimate.
   • The shared experiences deepened our relationship.
7. (transitive) To make more sound or heavy.
   • The hypnotist then proceeded to deepen his trance.
8. (intransitive) To become deeper
   • The water deepens as you go toward the middle of the channel.
9. (intransitive) To become darker or more intense
   • We may be pardoned our nostalgia, those of us who can remember the old days, the days before the grouping and before standardisation, when we see, as today we see so often, the derelict and abandoned buildings of what were once railway stations, for the life which they used to enjoy we lived with them. There they stand, today, as the dusk deepens about them, lampless, cold and deserted. 1953 April, Henry Maxwell, “Abandoned Railway Stations”, in Railway Magazine, page 270:
   • The crisis deepened in the following weeks.
10. (intransitive) To become lower in tone
    • His voice deepened with age.
11. (intransitive) To become more thorough or extensive.
    • His skill in deciphering the texts deepened with practice.
12. (intransitive) To become more intimate.
    • The conversation deepened and they began to truly share.
    • He's in the process of breaking up with one boyfriend, who refuses to let their relationship deepen, and courting another, who promises to be somebody with whom he could grow old. 2001, Susan Stryker, Queer Pulp, page 104:
13. (intransitive) To become more sound or heavy.
    • The new bed allowed my sleep to deepen.

Forms

Deriveds

deepeningly · deepener · overdeepen

Synonyms

depthen

Translations (88)

fr devenir plus profond (to become deeper) · fr approfondir (to make deep or deeper) · ca apregonar (to make deep or deeper) · cs prohlubovat se (to become more intimate) · cmn 加深 (to make deep or deeper) · ru пони́зить (to make lower in tone) · ota دریكلنمك (to become deeper) · cs prohlubovat (to make more intimate) · fi syventää (to make lower in tone) · de vergrößern (to make more poignant) · bg задълбочавам (to make deep or deeper) · ru понижа́ть (to make lower in tone) · fi syvetä (to become lower in tone) · ru уси́ливать (to make darker or more intense) · cs prohloubit se (to become more intimate) · ru усугуби́ть (to make more poignant) · ko 깊어지다 (to become deeper) · de aushölen (to make deep or deeper) · fr intensifier (to make more poignant) · fi madaltaa (to make lower in tone) · de zunehmen (to make darker or more intense) · gl afondar (to make deep or deeper) · fi vahvistaa (to make more poignant) · fi syvetä (to become more sound or heavy) · cs prohloubit (to make more intimate) · de vertiefen (to become deeper) · fi syventää (to make more poignant) · ru углуби́ть (to make deep or deeper) · fi madaltua (to become lower in tone) · ja 深める (to make deep or deeper) · fi syventää (to make deep or deeper) · cs prohloubit (to make more thorough or extensive) · fi parantua (to become more thorough or extensive) · ar تَعَمَّقَ (to make deep or deeper) · fi syvetä (to become deeper) · ru уси́литься (to become darker or more intense) · ca profunditzar-se (to become deeper) · cs prohlubovat se (to become more thorough or extensive) · fi syventää (to make more thorough or extensive) · ja 深まる (to become deeper) · ru усугубля́ть (to make more poignant) · ru уси́лить (to make darker or more intense) · hu mélyít (to make deep or deeper) · fi syvetä (to become more intimate) · fi voimistua (to become darker or more intense) · fi syventää (to make more sound or heavy) · fi tummentaa (to make darker or more intense) · pl pogłębić (to make deep or deeper) · fi syvetä (to become more thorough or extensive) · ru углубля́ть (to make deep or deeper) · it intensificare (to make darker or more intense) · ko 깊게 하다 (to make deep or deeper) · fi syvetä (to become darker or more intense) · fi pahentua (to become darker or more intense) · fi vahvistua (to become darker or more intense) · id memperdalam (to make deep or deeper) · cs prohlubovat (to make more thorough or extensive) · bg усилвам (to make darker or more intense) · uk погли́блювати (to make deep or deeper) · grc βαθύνω (to make deep or deeper) · cmn 深化 (to become deeper) · ca profunditzar (to make deep or deeper) · cs prohloubit (to make deep or deeper) · de vertiefen (to make deep or deeper) · ru углуби́ться (to become deeper) · pt aprofundar (to make deep or deeper) · de vergrößern (to make lower in tone) · uk погли́бити (to make deep or deeper) · ru уси́ливаться (to become darker or more intense) · fr intensifier (to make darker or more intense) · cs prohlubovat se (to become deeper) · eo profundigi (to make deep or deeper) · it approfondire (to make deep or deeper) · es ahondar (to make more poignant) · es ahondar (to make deep or deeper) · hu mélyít (to make darker or more intense) · ru углубля́ться (to become deeper) · pl pogłębiać (to make deep or deeper) · cs prohloubit se (to become deeper) · bg удълбочавам (to make deep or deeper) · fi syventää (to make more intimate) · cs prohloubit se (to become more thorough or extensive) · bg задълбочавам се (to become deeper) · ca enfondir (to make deep or deeper) · fi voimistaa (to make more poignant) · fi syventää (to make darker or more intense) · nl verdiepen (to make deep or deeper) · cs prohlubovat (to make deep or deeper)