tiefste

Tiefste is the superlative form of the German adjective tief, meaning deep. It is used to denote the greatest depth or extent of something. When the adjective accompanies a definite article or determiner, it takes the ending -ste, as in der tiefste Punkt, die tiefste Höhle, das tiefste Meer. As an adverb, the corresponding form is am tiefsten, for example: Der See ist am tiefsten im Norden. Additionally, das Tiefste can appear as a nominalized noun meaning “the deepest part” in a given context.

In practical use, tiefste generally translates to “deepest” in English. The deepest known point of the oceans is Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, located in the western Pacific, at about 10,9 kilometers below sea level. The term also occurs in figurative expressions, such as die tiefsten Gefühle (the deepest feelings). The word is common across science, geography, and literature as a descriptor of utmost depth or intensity.