deep-seated.

Firmly established and difficult to change or remove.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• deep-seated resentment
• a deep-seated belief

On the page

His suspicion of easy promises came from a deep-seated fear of dependency.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Comparative more deep-seated; superlative most deep-seated when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character. Commonness: moderately common.