slope

1 of 3

adjective

: that slants : sloping
often used in combination
slope-sided

slope

2 of 3

verb

sloped; sloping

intransitive verb

1
: to take an oblique course
2
: to lie or fall in a slant : incline
3
: go, travel
slopes off into the nightWolcott Gibbs

transitive verb

: to cause to incline or slant
sloper noun

slope

3 of 3

noun

1
: ground that forms a natural or artificial incline
2
: upward or downward slant or inclination or degree of slant
3
: the part of a continent draining to a particular ocean
Alaska's North Slope
4
a
: the tangent of the angle made by a straight line with the x-axis
b
: the slope of the line tangent to a plane curve at a point

Examples of slope in a Sentence

Verb His handwriting slopes to the left. they sloped our new driveway too steeply and now my car scrapes bottom whenever I back out onto the street Noun They climbed the steep slope. What is the angle of the slope? You can adjust the slope of the ramp. a slope of 30 degrees
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
In the Dolomites, the pleasures of post-slope relaxing are simply woven into the culture. Pilar Guzmán, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2023 Below, Vogue tracks the most noteworthy openings, from restaurants, to stores, to post-slope hotspots. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2021
Verb
This means that if the wheelchair user is trying to move forward along a surface that slopes to one side, for instance, the front wheels will automatically turn to face down that slope. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024 Each of the homes is built on two-acre homesites, positioned against the region’s sloping hills and lush forests. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
Stage 2 involves creating a tunnel over Agoura Road to the south to create a gradual slope that will allow animals to wander off the crossing into the Santa Monica Mountains. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 The bar, located right on the slopes, is well-known as being one of the liveliest dives in Arosa. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for slope 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sloop, probably from aslope, adverb, at an angle

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slope was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near slope

Cite this Entry

“Slope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slope. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

slope

1 of 3 adjective
: that slants : sloping

slope

2 of 3 verb
sloped; sloping
: to take a slanting direction : give a slant to : incline
sloper noun

slope

3 of 3 noun
1
: ground that forms a natural or artificial incline
2
: upward or downward slant or degree of slant
3
: the ratio of the change in a vertical direction to the change in a horizontal direction between any two points on the graph of a straight line

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