What does "dive" mean?
A jump or plunge into water.
Dive
/daɪv/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A jump or plunge into water.
- Grammar: dive is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abate, ablate, acrobatics, aerobatics.
- Useful contrasts: ascend, avoid, emerge.
- Usage evidence: The sperm whale can dive to a depth of 1,000 meters.
How to use "dive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dive" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A jump or plunge into water.
"the dive of a hawk after prey"
- 2 plural of diva form-of, plural
- 3 Obsolete form of daeva. alt-of, obsolete
- 4 a steep nose-down descent by an aircraft wordnet
- 5 A headfirst jump toward the ground or into another substance.
"The 24-year-old Brazilian hurdler Joao Vitor de Oliveira progressed to the Rio competition’s semi-finals by executing a Superman-style dive headfirst over the finishing line – beating South Africa’s Antonio Alkana by one hundredth of a second."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a headlong plunge into water wordnet
- 7 A downward swooping motion.
- 8 a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall wordnet
- 9 A swim under water.
- 10 A decline.
- 11 A seedy bar, nightclub, etc. slang
- 12 Aerial descent with the nose pointed down.
- 13 A deliberate fall after a challenge.
Verb
- 1 To swim under water. intransitive
"He dove in the water to save her."
- 2 swim under water wordnet
- 3 To jump into water head-first. intransitive
"It is not that pearls fetch a high price because men have dived for them."
- 4 plunge into water wordnet
- 5 To jump headfirst toward the ground or into another substance. intransitive
"to dive into home plate"
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 drop steeply wordnet
- 7 To descend sharply or steeply. intransitive
"[the Hammersmith & City at Paddington]: There it dived underground, eventually enabling its train services to run over, and be entangled with, the easterly extensions of the Metropolitan and the District."
- 8 To lose altitude quickly by pointing downwards, as with a bird or aircraft. intransitive
- 9 To undertake with enthusiasm. especially, intransitive
"She dove right in and started making improvements."
- 10 To deliberately fall down after a challenge, imitating being fouled, in the hope of getting one's opponent penalised.
- 11 To leap while fielding to take a brilliant catch which usally results in a wicket and appreciation.
- 12 To cause to descend, dunk; to plunge something into water. transitive
"To dive an infant either thrice or but once in Baptism"
- 13 To explore by diving; to plunge into. transitive
"The Curtii bravely dived the gulf of flame."
- 14 To plunge or to go deeply into any subject, question, business, etc.; to penetrate; to explore. figuratively, intransitive
"dive into the Concerns of all about them"
Example
"The sperm whale can dive to a depth of 1,000 meters."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dive"?
Common synonyms include: abate, ablate, acrobatics, aerobatics, alehouse, bagnio.
How do you use "dive" in a sentence?
The sperm whale can dive to a depth of 1,000 meters.
How do you pronounce "dive"?
Pronounced /daɪv/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English diven, duven, from the merger of Old English dȳfan (“to dip, immerse”, transitive weak verb) (from Proto-Germanic *dūbijaną) and dūfan (“to duck, dive, sink, penetrate”, intransitive strong verb) (past participle ġedofen). Cognate with Icelandic dýfa (“to dip, dive”), Low German bedaven (“covered, covered with water”). See also deep, dip.
Etymology 2
From Italian dive; see diva.