deepen
gb/dˈipən/ us/dˈipən/
B1
Inglés
~ 7000
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B1
action
1
make or become physically deeper
To make something deeper, or to become deeper.
Patrón de uso:
to deepen [something]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
deepen a hole
|deepen a channel
|deepen a well
|deepen the river
|deepen the trench
Temas
daily life
|nature
|science
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Heavy rain had deepened the ditch along the road.
- They plan to deepen the harbor so larger ships can enter.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The workers will deepen the well tomorrow.
- After the storm, the river bed deepened.
- 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.
Verbo
B2
action
2
make a feeling or situation stronger
To make a feeling or problem stronger or more serious, or to become stronger or more serious.
Patrón de uso:
to deepen [a problem/feeling]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
deepen a crisis
|deepening divide
|deepening sense of fear
|deepening conflict
|deepening gloom
|deepening mystery
Temas
emotions
|society
|news
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The scandal only served to deepen the public’s distrust of the government.
- Rising prices have deepened the economic crisis.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The news will deepen people’s fear.
- These new rules may deepen the problem instead of solving it.
- Her sadness deepened when she lost her job.
- The conflict deepened after the attack.
- Bad weather can deepen the feeling of loneliness.
Verbo
B2
action
3
make knowledge or relationships stronger
To know something better or be closer to someone, usually by learning more or sharing more.
Patrón de uso:
to deepen [understanding/relationship/ties]
Error frecuente:
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".
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
deepen your understanding
|deepen knowledge
|deepen a relationship
|deepen ties
|deepen engagement
|deepen cooperation
Temas
education
|relationships
|business
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of climate change.
- Travel can greatly deepen your appreciation of other cultures.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- This book will deepen your understanding of the topic.
- Living abroad can deepen your knowledge of a language.
- Shared problems often deepen a friendship.
- The project helped deepen ties between the two teams.
- Talking honestly can deepen a relationship.
Verbo
B2
action
4
make a color darker or richer
To make a color look darker or stronger, or to become darker or stronger in color.
Patrón de uso:
to deepen [a color/shade]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
lighten (Describes a color becoming less dark or more pale.)
|
fade (Describes a color slowly becoming weaker or less bright over time.)
Colocaciones
deepen the color
|deepening shadows
|deepening blue
|deepened hue
|colors deepen
|deepened tones
Temas
art
|nature
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- As the sun set, the sky deepened to a rich orange.
- The painter chose to deepen the blue in the background.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The blue of the sea seemed to deepen at night.
- The artist will deepen the red on this part of the wall.
- 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.
Verbo
C1
action
5
make a voice or sound lower
To make a voice or sound lower, or to become lower.
Patrón de uso:
to deepen [a voice/sound]
Error frecuente:
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.
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
raise (Describes making the pitch of a voice or sound higher.)
|
heighten (More formal; can refer to making pitch or intensity higher.)
Colocaciones
deepen his voice
|voice deepened
|deepening roar
|deepened tone
|deepening rumble
Temas
emotions
|arts
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- His voice deepened as he reached his teenage years.
- She deliberately deepened her voice to sound more confident.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- His voice will deepen when he is older.
- He deepened his voice to act like a king.
- 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.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
deepen
AFI
GB/dˈipən/
US/dˈipən/
Sílabas y acento
deep - en (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (deep)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: deepen
- 3rd Person Singular: deepens
- Present Participle: deepening
- Past: deepened
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.