Expensive vs Steep

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Expensive

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

Steep

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 adjective

	Expensive	Steep
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //ɪkˈspɛnsɪv// 🇺🇸 //ɪkˈspɛnsɪv// Hear Expensive	🇬🇧 /["/stiːp/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/stiːp/"]/ Hear Steep
Meaning	Costing a lot of money.	Having a sharp incline or slope.
Example	This restaurant is too expensive for a casual dinner.	a **steep hill/slope**
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	B2
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	expensive taste, expensive hobby, expensive gift	be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very
Antonyms	cheap, affordable, inexpensive	shallow, gentle
Common mistakes	Confusing with 'costly', which has a similar but slightly different nuance., Using with a negative connotation inappropriately; 'expensive' is neutral., Incorrectly using 'expensive' in place of 'costly' in more formal contexts.	Confused with 'steeped' which means soaked., Using 'steep' for flat surfaces., Incorrectly describing a gradual slope as 'steep'.
Usage notes	Used for items that cost more than average. Avoid using for inexpensive or cheap items.	Use 'steep' to describe hills, prices, or changes in situation. It has a neutral register, making it appropriate for both casual and formal situations. Avoid using it with soft or gentle contexts.

Frequently asked questions: Expensive vs Steep

What's the difference between Expensive and Steep?

Expensive: Costing a lot of money. Steep: Having a sharp incline or slope.

Are Expensive and Steep the same CEFR level?

Expensive: A1, Steep: B2 on the CEFR scale.

Can I use Expensive and Steep interchangeably?

Not always. Expensive and Steep are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.