Word
ditch
US/ˈdɪtʃ/
UK/dˈɪtʃ/
Definitions
01a trench for water
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a long, narrow hole dug in the ground, usually to carry water away from a road or field.
n. a narrow excavation dug in the earth, typically for the purpose of drainage, irrigation, or as a boundary marker.
日本語:溝※
“The car slid off the icy road and ended up in a muddy ditch.”
“Heavy rainfall caused the drainage ditch to overflow, flooding the adjacent fields and damaging the young crops.”
02to get rid of
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
v. to stop using something or to leave someone behind because you do not want them anymore.
v. to abandon or discard a person, object, or plan, often abruptly or without ceremony.
“He decided to ditch his old sofa and buy a new one for the apartment.”
“The company chose to ditch the original marketing strategy after the initial pilot programme failed to attract the target demographic.”
03to skip school
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
v. to stay away from school or a class without permission.
v. to deliberately absent oneself from school or a scheduled obligation without authorisation.
“They decided to ditch their afternoon classes to go to the cinema.”
“Several students were caught trying to ditch the assembly, leading to a strict warning from the headteacher.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04to land on water
C1 · Advanced Aviation Technical
v. to land an aircraft on water in an emergency.
v. to perform a forced landing of an aircraft on water, typically following engine failure or other critical emergencies.
“The pilot had to ditch the plane in the river after both engines failed.”
“The flight crew was praised for their composure while preparing the passengers to ditch the aircraft in the ocean after a total loss of power.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Adam survives only because he manages to roll his body into a ditch, where he hides until Charles gives up and goes away.” “Would you have made my great-grandfather dig ditches for fun?” “The hotel industry was one of the first to ditch metal keys.” Etymology
From Middle English dich, from Old English dīċ (“trench, moat”) from Proto-Germanic dīkaz (compare Swedish dike, Icelandic díki, West Frisian dyk (“dam”), Dutch dijk (“dam”), German Teich (“pond”)), from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ- (“to stick, set up”) (compare Latin fīgō (“to affix, fasten”), Lithuanian diegti (“to prick; plant”), dýgsti (“to geminate, grow”)). Doublet of dike.
From earlier deche, from Middle English dechen, from Old English dēcan (“to smear, plaster, daub”). More at deech.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/ditch
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0