seeped; seeping; seeps
1
: to flow or pass slowly through fine pores or small openings : ooze
water seeped in through a crack
2
a
: to enter or penetrate slowly
fear of nuclear war had seeped into the national consciousness—
Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
b
: to become diffused or spread
a sadness seeped through his being—Agnes S. Turnbull
Agnes S. Turnbull1
a
: a spot where a fluid (such as water, oil, or gas) contained in the ground oozes slowly to the surface and often forms a pool
b
: a small spring
2
: seepage
Synonyms
Examples of seep in a Sentence
Verb
Blood was seeping through the bandage.
The chemicals seeped into the ground.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Once there, mtDNA fragments can make their way into the nucleus either through pores in its wall or, if the cell divides, seep in while the envelope dissolves and reassembles.
—Martin Picard, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2025
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
If the acidic water from a seep reaches an alkaline river or stream, its pH will rise, and the iron will fall out as what miners would call yellow boy.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seep 
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Verb
Perhaps her childhood pain — which seeped into her adult life, then into motherhood — wasn't necessary.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Once there, mtDNA fragments can make their way into the nucleus either through pores in its wall or, if the cell divides, seep in while the envelope dissolves and reassembles.
—Martin Picard, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
In the depths of the ocean where the Earth’s crust meets the freezing water, chemicals leak into the seawater through cracks and fissures called cold seeps.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
If the acidic water from a seep reaches an alkaline river or stream, its pH will rise, and the iron will fall out as what miners would call yellow boy.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seep
Dictionary Entries Near seep
Cite this Entry
“Seep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seep. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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