To become steeper, or to make something steeper. A slope, a road, a hill, a path — it starts gentle and then goes up (or down) at a sharper angle.

To become steeper變得更陡，or to make something steeper或是把什麼東西弄得更陡。A slope, a road, a hill, a path像坡道、道路、山丘、小徑，it starts gentle一開始平緩，and then goes up (or down) at a sharper angle接著以更陡的角度往上（或往下）。

The word works two ways. It can be intransitive, with the slope doing it by itself: 'The road steepens after the bridge.' Or transitive, with someone or something causing it: 'They steepened the ramp to save space.' The intransitive use is much more common in real writing.

The word works two ways這個字有兩種用法。It can be intransitive它可以是不及物動詞，with the slope doing it by itself坡道自己變陡：'The road steepens after the bridge.'「過了橋之後道路變陡了」。Or transitive或是及物動詞，with someone or something causing it由某人或某事造成：'They steepened the ramp to save space.'「他們把斜坡弄陡以節省空間」。The intransitive use is much more common in real writing不及物用法在實際寫作裡常見得多。

You will meet this word most in walking, cycling and climbing talk, and in geography lessons. It is a fairly formal, written word — a hiker chatting to a friend would more likely say 'it gets steeper' or 'it really goes up here'.

You will meet this word most in walking, cycling and climbing talk這個字最常出現在健行、騎車、攀爬的話題裡，and in geography lessons還有地理課上。It is a fairly formal, written word它算是偏正式的書面用字——a hiker chatting to a friend一個健行者跟朋友聊天 would more likely say 'it gets steeper' or 'it really goes up here'比較會說「變陡了」或「這裡真的很往上」。

Writers also stretch it beyond hills, to any line on a graph that rises faster: prices, temperatures, a curve on a chart. 'The curve steepens after 2010' means the numbers started climbing more sharply. That graph use is quite common in news and science writing, so it is worth knowing.

Writers also stretch it beyond hills作家也把這個字用到山坡以外，to any line on a graph that rises faster任何在圖表上爬升得更快的線：prices, temperatures, a curve on a chart像物價、氣溫、圖表上的曲線。'The curve steepens after 2010'「這條曲線在2010年後變陡」 means the numbers started climbing more sharply意思是數字開始爬升得更快。That graph use is quite common in news and science writing這種圖表用法在新聞和科學寫作裡很常見，so it is worth knowing所以值得知道。