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deep

deep

48 6.9
Very secret and clever, often made to trick people
  • adjective
  • /dip/
: profundo
  • An agent went deep cover, to the point of marrying its target.

This was like a deep, deep, dark secret that I had.

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Examples

  • You endangered years of work, years of deep-cover planning, and cultivation of valuable assets.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I got your deep, deep cover here.

  • This was like a deep, deep, dark secret that I had.

  • You know, one of us is in deep trouble.

  • This footage was assembled from... sources operating under deep cover at... great risk.

  • You are a top operative under deep cover on your most important mission.

  • We're maintaining deep cover.

  • And then there are those deep-seated structural problems, which several commenters have alluded to above.

    Blog text (2)
  • The broader issue is which process for transferring power will help to address Mexico's deep-rooted dilemmas.

    Academic text (1993)
  • He was a masterful strategist, known for his deep plans that often caught his opponents off guard.

Synonyms

subterranean
vsdeep
3 7.4

Hidden and not openly shown

is about cunning secrecy and hidden intention rather than physical underground presence
deep-laid
vsdeep
1 8.4

Secretly and carefully planned to reach a goal

is more about personal cunning and hidden motives than careful secret planning

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Easy to see or understand

19 3.5

Very obvious and easy to see or understand

Idioms

deep down
  • Informal
180 3.5

In your real feelings or beliefs that you do not show

in too deep
  • Informal
14 7.4

Too involved in a problem or situation to get out easily

this is deep
  • Informal
1 8.7

People say it when something seems very serious or important, often jokingly

Focusing very seriously on something in your mind

You must choose between two options that are both bad

1 8.2

To have to do something difficult without preparation

elbow-deep in
  • Informal
1 6.8

Very involved in an activity, often working with your hands

1 7.8

Start a difficult task without much preparation or experience

1 7.8

Put suddenly into a difficult situation without preparation or help

Deeply stuck in a difficult situation that is hard to leave

To throw something away and stop using it

Compounds

230 2.2

To breathe in slowly and fully to help you relax

deep space
  • Specialized
35 6.4

An area far beyond the solar system, between stars and galaxies

30 3.6

The deepest parts of the ocean far below the surface where little or no sunlight reaches

28 4.0

A person or company with a lot of money to pay for things

28 4.5

Located very far below the sea surface

26 4.9

In very deep parts of the sea

25 2.8

A heavy sleep when the body and mind rest and are not aware of surroundings

25 4.4

A region in the southeastern United States with a long history and strong local culture

A strong and complete knowledge of a subject or idea

18 1.7

Cooked by putting food completely into hot oil

A strong feeling of closeness between people or toward a place

knee-deep
  • Informal
16 3.9

Very involved in something, like work or problems

10 3.1

Water or mud that reaches up to the knees

deep end
  • Informal
10 5.6

A difficult situation that forces someone new to cope

9 2.7

A dark, strong red colour that looks rich

deep dive
  • Jargon
9 4.1

A detailed look at a topic to learn more about it

9 4.7

Only on the surface and not deep inside

8 6.0

A time when work or activity stops for a long time

6 2.9

Up to someone's waist in water or snow

6 4.3

A period of very cold weather that lasts several days

6 3.7

A very strong feeling of sadness after a great loss

5 2.7

A kitchen machine that cooks food by putting it completely into hot oil

deep water
  • Informal
5 5.9

A situation that causes serious trouble

5 3.0

At a depth up to the ankles in water, mud, or snow

5 6.9

Very involved in a difficult situation that is hard to manage

5 4.2

A person who spends time on serious, important ideas

4 1.0

A dark shade of brown like chocolate

3 4.9

An eye set far back in the head that makes the eye area look deep and dark

deep kiss
  • NSFW
2 4.1

A long open-mouthed kiss where people touch tongues

2 7.0

A very strong feeling that reaches deep into your body or heart

Serious conversation that looks closely at important or difficult ideas

2 4.0

A very heavy sleep that is hard to wake from

A person who dives deep in the sea using special equipment to protect from high pressure

A strong feeling of worry that lasts a long time and is hard to change

1 2.6

A large electric box that keeps food very cold for a long time

An electric kitchen machine that cooks food by putting it completely in hot oil

1 1.8

Having a strong, dark shade of pink

A pie with a deep layer of fruit filling and a top crust

Strong anger that stays inside someone for a long time

1 3.5

A very cold freezer for keeping food for a long time

deep cut
  • Jargon
1 8.4

A song on an album that is not a hit but loved by fans

A strong emotional effect that something like music or words has on people

1 2.4

A strong, intense yellow like a ripe pumpkin

1 7.4

At a height that reaches a person's chest

1 5.3

A person or animal with a deep chest that suggests strength

1 7.3

A remote northern area that has wild natural beauty

deep sleep
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A low power state when a device turns off most parts but can wake quickly

A custom people have followed for a long time that is hard to change

A belief that people hold for a long time and find hard to change

A careful, detailed study of a subject to find important facts

Eyebrows that sit back above the eyes and make the face look intense

A problem that looks small but does not fix the real cause

Very tired all through your body so you can barely move

1 8.4

Secretly and carefully planned to reach a goal

1 7.4

A place where people cross a river with deep water

7.3

A vein deep in the side of the brain that drains blood toward the base of the brain

deep cervical vein
  • Specialized
5.5

A blood vessel in the neck that drains blood from muscles near the spine

deep supporting fire
  • Specialized
8.8

Fire from heavy guns at enemy targets far behind friendly troops to disrupt supplies and reinforcements

deep temporal vein
  • Specialized
7.9

A vein in the temple area that carries blood away from nearby muscles

deep-lobed
  • Specialized
7.2

Leaves or body parts that have deep cuts making clear rounded sections, like oak leaves

A strong hidden worry that affects how someone thinks or acts

deep-mined
  • Specialized
6.4

Coal taken from mines deep under the ground, not from the surface

deep-fried
  • Slang
8.2

A picture or video edited to make colours and contrast look too strong

A strong long-held belief in the Pope's authority

A very deep part of the Atlantic Ocean north of Haiti and Puerto Rico

How Cunning

underhanded
16 7.2
devious
49 6.4
deep
48 6.9
cunning
27 4.5
crafty
49 4.5
subtle
339 6.0

Surface Forms

deep positive
deeper comparative
deepest superlative

Etymology

The word deep originally meant 'far down' (old English dēop), so a deep plan is one that is hidden below the surface and not easy to see. That's why deep can mean secret, clever, or carefully planned.