deepening

Becoming more intense

Deepening describes the process of becoming deeper—literally or figuratively.

A river deepens as it erodes its bed.

A crisis deepens as it intensifies.

The deepening shadows signaled dusk.

Her deepening understanding of the subject impressed her teachers.

The word captures gradual increase in degree, severity, or profundity.

excavation

dredge

Underwater excavation apparatus

  • trenchLong narrow excavation
  • digUnearth by shoveling
  • shovelTool for moving earth

dredging · channel · harbor · riverbed · quarry · pit · burrow · tunnel · earthmover · backhoe

understanding

insight

Deep perceptive understanding

enlightenment · clarity · grasp · perception · wisdom · knowledge · learning · reflection · contemplation · study

relationship

bond

Binding tie or connection

commitment · closeness · attachment · affection · rapport · friendship · love · partnership · devotion · loyalty

intensification

amplify

Increase in strength

reinforce · enhance · increase · magnify · augment · consolidate · fortify · sharpen · accentuate · elevate

color

darkening

Growing less bright

tone · shade · pigment · intensity · vibrancy · contrast · shadow

complexity

intricate

Elaborately detailed, many parts

convoluted · labyrinthine · entangled · complicated · elaborate · layered · dense · rich · textured · multifaceted

Categories
Opposites
intensity or severity

deepeninglessening

Becoming reduced in degree

easing · abating · diminishing · moderating · subsiding

physical depth

deepeningshallowing

Decreasing in depth

filling in · silting up · filling · rising · shoaling

development or complexity

deepeningsimplifying

Making less complex

shallowing · trivializing · diminishing · eroding · weakening

Phrases
Family

deep, depth, deeply, depths, deepen, deepest, deeper, deepened, deepens

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G