steepening

Becoming more inclined

Steepening is the process of becoming steeper—more sharply inclined or angled.

The word appears in discussions of terrain, learning curves, or financial yield curves: The steepening of the trail made the hike more difficult.

In finance, yield curve steepening indicates widening differences between short-term and long-term interest rates.

gradient

slope

Angled terrain or steepness

inclineAngled rising surface
gradeClassification by rank
pitchFrequency of sound

angle · ascent · rise · tilt · ramp · bank · acclivity · elevation · hill · climb

increase

rise

Move to higher position

growthIncrease in size
climbAscend using effort
surgeSudden powerful increase

uptick · upswing · jump · hike · swell · upturn · spike · ramp-up · buildup · expansion

intensification

escalation

Progressive increase in intensity

amplificationIncrease in intensity
heighteningIncreasing in degree
accelerationRate velocity changes

exacerbation · aggravation · deepening · worsening · surge · spike · sharpening · compounding · mounting · building

curvature

curve

Smooth, angleless line

arcCurved line segment
bendCurve or flex
inflectionWord form alteration

concavity · convexity · parabola · trajectory · graph · exponential · nonlinear · tangent · asymptote · slope

Categories

yield curvesyield curve, normal curve, curve flattening, inversion, flattening

Opposites

gradient change

steepeningflattening

Reducing to evenness

leveling · gentling · shallowing · easing · softening

trajectory stability

steepeningleveling off

Reaching a stable state

plateauing · stabilizing · flatlining · evening out · decelerating

Family

steep, steeply, steepness, steeper, steepen, steepens, steepened

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G