seep

USSEEP/sip/

Noun pluralseeps

9 meanings of seep

1
verbintransitive
To pass slowly through tiny holes or cracks, a little at a time.
Like water slowly coming out through a tiny hole in a cloth.
Water began to seep through the cracks in the wall.
Rain was seeping under the door all night.
Similarooze, leak, trickle, percolate, drip
Oppositegush
Note
2
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To slowly spread or move into a place or through something.
Like a smell slowly filling a room until it reaches every corner.
Worry started to seep into his thoughts.
A good mood was seeping through the whole team.
Similarcreep, filter, trickle, spread
Note
3
nouncountable
A spot where water, oil, or tar slowly comes up out of the ground.
Like a tiny natural spring where liquid slowly comes out of the earth.
We found a seep where water trickled out of the hillside.
Tar bubbled up from a seep near the old road.
Similarspring
Note
4
nouncountable
Liquid or gas that slowly leaks out of something.
Like the small wet patch left behind when something leaks.
A dark seep spread across the garage floor.
They wiped up the seep before it stained the carpet.
Similarleak, leakage, discharge
5
verbtransitive
To let a liquid pass slowly through, the way a crack does.
Like a cracked cup that lets juice drip out slowly.
The old roof seeped rainwater all winter.
Cracks in the tank seep oil onto the floor.
Similarleak, ooze, drip, exude
Note
6
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To slowly become less and finally fade away.
Like air slowly leaking from a balloon until it's flat.
Her energy seemed to seep away as the day went on.
His confidence was seeping away with each mistake.
Similarebb, drain, dwindle, fade, wane
Oppositegrow, swell
Note
7
nouncountable
The slow leaking away of a liquid.
Like the slow drip that empties a leaky bucket over time.
The seep of water from the pond was very slow.
Workers tried to stop the seep under the wall.
Similartrickle, leak, drip, leakage
Oppositegush
8
nouncountable
A place on the sea floor where gas or liquid leaks out.
Like a small underwater leak where gas slowly escapes from the sea floor.
Divers filmed a cold seep deep on the ocean floor.
Strange creatures live around a seep far below the waves.
Note
9
verbdialectalScotlandintransitive
To make something fully wet, or to become fully wet.
Like a sponge that fills with water until it is soaked through.
Leave the dried fruit to seep in water for an hour.
The cloth seeped up the spilled liquid.
Similarsoak, steep
Note

Practice

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Origin

"Seep" is another form of "sipe." It goes back to Old English sipian, meaning to drip or trickle.