deepen
gb/dˈipən/ us/dˈipən/
B1
English
~ 7000
mélyít, mélyül, fokoz, fokozódik, súlyosbít, elmélyít, elmélyül, sötétít, sötétedik
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to deepen [something]
Heavy rain had deepened the ditch along the road.
A heves eső tovább mélyítette az út menti árkot.
They plan to deepen the harbor so larger ships can enter.
Azt tervezik, hogy mélyítik a kikötőt, hogy nagyobb hajók is bejuthassanak.
Over the years, the river has deepened its bed and changed course.
The miners worked through the night to deepen the shaft.
We need to deepen the groove slightly so the board will fit.
Learner examples
The workers will deepen the well tomorrow.
A munkások holnap mélyítik a kutat.
After the storm, the river bed deepened.
A vihar után mélyült a folyómeder.
They used a machine to deepen the long hole.
We must deepen the canal for big boats.
Dig a little more to deepen the pit.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "deeper" (adjective) when a verb is needed. Say "deepen the hole" (verb), not "deep the hole" or "make it more deep" in formal writing.
Meaning
make or become physically deeper
Collocations
deepen a hole
|deepen a channel
|deepen a well
|deepen the river
|deepen the trench
Synonyms
make deeper (Plain descriptive phrase; slightly less natural as a single verb but very clear for learners.)
|
excavate (Focuses on digging earth or rock away, often for building or mining, not just any increase in depth.)
Antonyms
fill in (Describes putting material back into a hole so that it becomes less deep or disappears.)
|
raise (Focuses on lifting the bottom or floor upward so the depth is reduced.)
Themes
daily life
|nature
|science
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make something deeper, or to become deeper.
To make something have a greater distance from its surface to its bottom, or to become so.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to deepen [a problem/feeling]
The scandal only served to deepen the public’s distrust of the government.
A botrány csak tovább fokozta a közvélemény kormánnyal szembeni bizalmatlanságát.
Rising prices have deepened the economic crisis.
Az emelkedő árak tovább súlyosbították a gazdasági válságot.
The silence deepened as everyone waited for the results.
Her worries deepened after she read the doctor’s report.
Tensions between the two countries have deepened in recent months.
Learner examples
The news will deepen people’s fear.
A hír tovább fokozza majd az emberek félelmét.
These new rules may deepen the problem instead of solving it.
Ezek az új szabályok megoldás helyett akár súlyosbíthatják is a problémát.
Her sadness deepened when she lost her job.
The conflict deepened after the attack.
Bad weather can deepen the feeling of loneliness.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "grow" or "become" with a negative noun in unnatural ways (e.g. *"the crisis grew deeper"). While not always wrong, "the crisis deepened" is the most natural choice in news-style English.
Meaning
make a feeling or situation stronger
Collocations
deepen a crisis
|deepening divide
|deepening sense of fear
|deepening conflict
|deepening gloom
|deepening mystery
Synonyms
intensify (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and common in news or academic style.)
|
worsen (Focuses more on something becoming worse or more negative, especially problems or conditions.)
|
heighten (Often used with emotions or awareness; suggests making something stronger or more noticeable.)
Antonyms
ease (Suggests a problem or pain becomes less serious or less strong.)
|
lessen (General verb for something becoming weaker or smaller in amount or intensity.)
|
improve (Opposite when talking about negative situations becoming better instead of more serious.)
Themes
emotions
|society
|news
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a feeling or problem stronger or more serious, or to become stronger or more serious.
To make a situation, problem, or feeling more intense, serious, or extreme, or to become so.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to deepen [understanding/relationship/ties]
The course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of climate change.
A kurzus célja, hogy elmélyítse a hallgatók klímaváltozással kapcsolatos ismereteit.
Travel can greatly deepen your appreciation of other cultures.
Az utazás nagyban elmélyítheti a más kultúrák iránti megbecsülésedet.
The experience only deepened their friendship.
Regular meetings have deepened cooperation between the two companies.
Reading widely helped to deepen her knowledge of modern history.
Learner examples
This book will deepen your understanding of the topic.
Ez a könyv elmélyíti majd a témával kapcsolatos tudásodat.
Living abroad can deepen your knowledge of a language.
Külföldön élni elmélyítheti a nyelvtudásodat.
Shared problems often deepen a friendship.
The project helped deepen ties between the two teams.
Talking honestly can deepen a relationship.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "*make your understanding deeper" instead of the more natural verb phrase "deepen your understanding". Use "deepen" with abstract nouns like "knowledge", "awareness", and "relationship".
Meaning
make knowledge or relationships stronger
Collocations
deepen your understanding
|deepen knowledge
|deepen a relationship
|deepen ties
|deepen engagement
|deepen cooperation
Synonyms
strengthen (Stresses making a relationship or connection more solid; slightly broader than "deepen".)
|
broaden (Focuses on covering more areas of knowledge; not always about emotional closeness or detail.)
|
enrich (Emphasizes adding value or quality, especially to understanding or experience.)
Antonyms
weaken (Describes relationships or connections becoming less strong or less close.)
|
shallow (As a verb, rare but can mean to make something less deep; more often used as an adjective about weak or surface-level understanding.)
|
reduce (General term for making the amount or level of understanding or involvement smaller.)
Themes
education
|relationships
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To know something better or be closer to someone, usually by learning more or sharing more.
To make knowledge, understanding, involvement, or a relationship more complete, detailed, or emotionally close.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to deepen [a color/shade]
As the sun set, the sky deepened to a rich orange.
Ahogy lement a nap, az ég mély, telt narancssárgára sötétedett.
The painter chose to deepen the blue in the background.
A festő úgy döntött, hogy elmélyíti a háttér kékjét.
Over time, the stain will deepen in color.
The shadows deepened as the storm clouds rolled in.
In autumn, the leaves’ colors gradually deepen before they fall.
Learner examples
The blue of the sea seemed to deepen at night.
Éjszaka a tenger kékje sötétebbnek tűnt.
The artist will deepen the red on this part of the wall.
A művész elmélyíti majd a vöröset a fal ezen részén.
In the evening, the colors of the sky deepen.
Her hair color will deepen after a few weeks in the sun.
The paint will deepen as it dries.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse "become dark" for all situations. In artistic or descriptive writing, "deepen" is more natural when talking about gradual or deliberate change in color intensity.
Meaning
make a color darker or richer
Collocations
deepen the color
|deepening shadows
|deepening blue
|deepened hue
|colors deepen
|deepened tones
Synonyms
darken (Very close in meaning; more common in everyday speech for colors becoming less light.)
|
intensify (Focuses on the strength or vividness of a color, often in artistic or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
lighten (Describes a color becoming less dark or more pale.)
|
fade (Describes a color slowly becoming weaker or less bright over time.)
Themes
art
|nature
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a color look darker or stronger, or to become darker or stronger in color.
To make a color darker, richer, or more intense, or to become so.
VERB
C1
5
Usage pattern:
to deepen [a voice/sound]
His voice deepened as he reached his teenage years.
Kamaszkorában mélyült a hangja.
She deliberately deepened her voice to sound more confident.
Szándékosan mélyítette a hangját, hogy magabiztosabbnak tűnjön.
The rumble of thunder deepened and shook the windows.
His tone deepened when he spoke about his family.
The engine noise deepened as the plane climbed higher.
Learner examples
His voice will deepen when he is older.
Ahogy idősebb lesz, mélyülni fog a hangja.
He deepened his voice to act like a king.
Mélyítette a hangját, hogy úgy beszéljen, mint egy király.
The sound of the drum deepened as they hit it harder.
Her tone deepened when she became serious.
The noise deepened and became a low rumble.
Common mistake:
Learners often use only "low" as an adjective ("a low voice") and may not know the verb "deepen" to describe how the voice changes over time.
Meaning
make a voice or sound lower
Collocations
deepen his voice
|voice deepened
|deepening roar
|deepened tone
|deepening rumble
Synonyms
lower (General verb for making sound or pitch go down; can also mean reducing volume, not just pitch.)
|
drop (Can describe pitch suddenly going lower; more informal in this use.)
Antonyms
raise (Describes making the pitch of a voice or sound higher.)
|
heighten (More formal; can refer to making pitch or intensity higher.)
Themes
emotions
|arts
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a voice or sound lower, or to become lower.
To make the pitch of a voice or sound lower, or to become lower in pitch.
Grammar
Dictionary form
deepen
IPA
GB/dˈipən/
US/dˈipən/
Syllables & stress
deep - en (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (deep)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: deepen
- 3rd Person Singular: deepens
- Present Participle: deepening
- Past: deepened
Word family
Expressions
deepen a relationship
1/dˈipən ə ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
make a relationship more close
To become closer to someone emotionally, or to help two people become closer.
Examples
- Sharing personal stories can deepen a relationship.
- Working on a difficult project together really deepened their relationship.
deepen the crisis
1/dˈipən ðə kɹˈaɪsəs/
fixed phrase
formal
make an existing crisis worse
To make a serious problem or crisis even more serious or difficult.
Examples
- New trade restrictions could deepen the crisis in the region.
- Cuts to public services may only deepen the crisis facing low‑income families.
deepen ties
1/dˈipən tˈaɪz/
fixed phrase
formal
make connections between groups stronger
To make the relationship or connection between countries, groups, or organizations stronger and closer.
Examples
- The agreement is expected to deepen ties between the two nations.
- Cultural exchanges can deepen ties between universities around the world.
deepen your understanding
1/dˈipən jˈʊɹ ˌʌndɚstˈændɪŋ/
fixed phrase
increase how much you understand
To know and understand something more fully and clearly than before.
Examples
- This course will help you deepen your understanding of data science.
- Reading widely is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of a subject.