slope

1 of 3

adjective

ˈslōp 

: 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 night …

—Wolcott 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

Synonyms of slope

Verb

• tilt
• angle
• incline
• lean

Noun

• incline
• inclination
• gradient

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

Adjective

Travelers can stay at Hotel Catedral Patagonia, which has a spa for post-slope relaxation. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026

Arguably, the two best features for powderhounds are the gear storage area, complete with a boot dryer and a waxing and tuning station, and the hot tub because no mountain retreat is complete without a post-slope soak. — Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026

Verb

The resort’s layout around the steep hill of the peninsula and slope into the valley means that each area is tucked away and separate from the rest. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Slow the flow of water by lining your trench or slope with rocks or small stones. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Noun

In September, high tides and powerful wave activity from Hurricane Marie buffeted the San Clemente coastline, temporarily halting Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink service after more erosion and slope damage were spotted near the train tracks. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Two to 3 inches of rain are expected in the Charlotte region, the mountains and Upstate South Carolina from Isaias, with higher amounts – 3 or 4 inches – along steep slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, NWS meteorologists said. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing slope

• bunny slope
• continental slope
• glide slope
• nursery slope
• slippery slope
• slope-intercept form
• slope off

Rhymes for slope

• cope
• dope
• grope
• lope
• mope
• nope
• rope
• scope
• shope
• soap
• stope
• swope

Kids Definition

slope

1 of 3 adjective

ˈslōp 

: 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