急峻(きゅうしゅん)

きゅうしゅん
na-adjective
steep; precipitous; sheer
formalnaturegeography
1. steep; precipitous; sheer
Extremely steep and rising sharply, typically describing mountains, cliffs, slopes, or terrain.
急峻(きゅうしゅん)な山道(やまみち)を登(のぼ)った。
We climbed a steep mountain path.
この地域(ちいき)は急峻(きゅうしゅん)な地形(ちけい)が多(おお)い。
This area has a lot of steep terrain.
急峻(きゅうしゅん)な崖(がけ)がそびえ立(た)ち、下(した)を見(み)ると足(あし)がすくんだ。
A sheer cliff towered above, and looking down made my legs freeze.

A compound of 急(きゅう) (steep/sudden) and 峻(しゅん) (towering/precipitous). Describes terrain that is not merely steep but dramatically so — nearly vertical cliffs, extremely steep mountain faces, or rugged highland terrain. More literary and emphatic than the common 急(きゅう)な.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 険(けわ)しい: steep, rugged — the most common everyday word for steep terrain
  • 急(きゅう)な: steep, sudden — general-purpose, less dramatic
  • 切(き)り立(た)った: sheer, precipitous — describes a cliff that drops straight down
  • 峻険(しゅんけん): steep and rugged — literary synonym, nearly interchangeable

Related Words

Compare: 険(けわ)しい (steep, rugged)
Compare: 急(きゅう) (steep, sudden)
Compare: 切(き)り立(た)った (sheer, precipitous)
general
Added 2026.4.2 10:37 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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