a steep drive

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a steep drive" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a driveway or road that has a significant incline, often in the context of real estate or travel descriptions. Example: "The house is situated on a hill, accessible via a steep drive that offers stunning views of the valley below."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Steve Martin and his wife, Anne Stringfield, live near the top of a steep drive in Beverly Hills.

The New Yorker

So you can now, for a steep price (after a steep drive), stay at the place that Gore Vidal once wrote was the most beautiful spot on earth, specifically the view from the belvedere that Ernest built, the Terrace of Infinity: "The sky and the sea were each so vividly blue that it was not possible to tell one from the other".

The New York Times - Books

What's a steep drive?

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Strike One: "a wide, steep drive leading to the big auditorium" is vague enough to mean almost anything and therefore means nothing.

Huffington Post

We make a steep switchback drive to the top of the escarpment, to the Haratawerth Overlook, where groups of Saudi women, like crows on a wire, are enjoying a view quite similar to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Huffington Post

"When Augie reached the top of the wide, steep drive leading to the big auditorium, he saw a cluster of at least two dozen people already waiting outside the rank of doors, some standing, most sitting.

Huffington Post

A man called Tom, who did not want to give his last name, pulled into the cafe's car park in an SUV, the car splashing through slushy puddles as it laboured up the steep drive.

The Guardian

When the first truck arrived, he stood at the gate, watching the gardeners unload the pots, handing them down to each other and then carrying them up to the house — the loaded vehicle couldn't climb the steep drive.

The New Yorker

The hall is situated at the end of a steep and winding drive through mountains, with huge vistas of the coast and estuary below, so the anticipation of arriving is half the fun.

The Guardian - Travel

The story was taken up by Chericiane Gay, another of the older women in the village, reachable by a steep four-hour drive from the hurricane-stricken city of Jérémie, along roads often partially destroyed by landslides and submerged in flood water.

The Guardian

After a steep 30-minute drive from the city of Choman in the semiautonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, we stop at a makeshift border station located five or six miles west of the actual border.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a steep drive" when you want to clearly communicate that a road or driveway has a significant upward slope. It's effective in descriptions of properties, routes, or landscapes.

Common error

Avoid using "a steep drive" metaphorically. While "steep" can describe a rapid increase (e.g., a steep learning curve), "a steep drive" should typically refer to an actual physical incline. Overusing it in abstract contexts can sound awkward.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a steep drive" primarily functions as a descriptive noun phrase. It modifies a noun (drive) with the adjective 'steep', providing information about its characteristic. Ludwig AI confirms this usage with real-world examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a steep drive" is a descriptive phrase denoting a significantly inclined road or driveway. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and common usage across various contexts, predominantly in News & Media and Formal & Business settings. It's crucial to use this phrase when referring to a physical incline and avoid metaphorical applications. The related phrases offer alternatives to enrich descriptions, and the writing guidance helps avoid common misapplications. Therefore, using "a steep drive" effectively enhances clarity and accuracy in property or travel descriptions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a sharply inclined driveway

Replaces "steep" with a more descriptive adjective, while maintaining the core meaning.

a precipitous access road

Uses a more dramatic adjective ("precipitous") to emphasize the steepness and replaces "drive" with "access road".

a steeply graded road

Focuses on the gradient of the road, using "steeply graded" as an alternative to "steep drive".

an uphill driveway

Simplifies the phrase by focusing on the upward direction of the drive.

a sharply rising road

Emphasizes the sharp ascent using "sharply rising" instead of "steep".

a challenging incline

Highlights the difficulty presented by the steepness, using "challenging" to describe the incline.

a very inclined way

Rephrases the sentence to add more emphasis and replace common wording.

a high gradient road

Replaces "steep" with "high gradient" to denote the measure of inclination.

a high-sloping road

Replaces "steep" with "high-sloping" to denote inclination.

an ascending driveway

Uses the verb "ascending" to describe the nature of the driveway.

FAQs

How can I describe a difficult road instead of saying "a steep drive"?

You can use phrases like "a challenging road", "a difficult road", or "a treacherous road" depending on the specific difficulty you want to emphasize.

What does "a steep drive" usually imply about a property?

It typically implies that the property is located on a hill or elevated ground, potentially offering views but also posing challenges for accessibility, especially in inclement weather.

Is it correct to use "a steep driveway" instead of "a steep drive"?

Yes, "a steep driveway" is perfectly correct and often more specific, as it explicitly refers to the short road leading to a house or building.

When is it more appropriate to use "a steep incline" rather than "a steep drive"?

"A steep incline" is more appropriate when referring to the general slope of the land, while "a steep drive" specifies a road or driveway with that slope.