Sloping

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsləʊpɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Inclined at an angle, a surface that descends toward a lower level
2. This term indicates a gradual or steep angle that deviates from a flat surface
3. Having a surface that tilts downward or upward rather than being flat

Etymology: "Sloping" is the present participle of "slope," and "slope" grew out of a phrase: "aslope," meaning "on a slant" or "at a slant." The "a-" at the front is the same little prefix found in words like "ahead" and "aside," and it works here to turn the idea of slanting into a state, something a thing is in rather than something it does. The word "slope" then emerged as a noun and verb from that adverbial phrase, so the familiar noun for a hillside is a back-formation of sorts from an expression that was already describing an angle. Once the noun stood on its own, "sloping" could be used to describe anything tilted, from a roof to a shoulder to a lawn that drains away from a house.

Synonyms: inclined, tilted, slanted, slopey, angled

Antonyms: level, flat, straight, upright, vertical