# dive

/ˈdaɪv/ (US) · /dˈaɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dive
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to jump into water

verb · CEFR A2

to jump into water with your head and arms going in first.

For teachers: to plunge headfirst into water, typically from a height or a diving board.

- The children spent the whole afternoon diving into the hotel pool.
- The athlete executed a perfect somersault before diving into the water with barely a splash.

### 2. to swim underwater

verb · CEFR B1

to swim deep under the surface of the water, often using special equipment.

For teachers: to swim or remain under the surface of a body of water, often with breathing apparatus.

- We want to dive near the coral reef to see the tropical fish.
- They planned to dive to the wreck of the sunken ship, which lay thirty metres below the surface.

### 3. to drop quickly

verb · CEFR B2

to move down very fast, like a bird, a plane, or even a price.

For teachers: to descend or fall steeply and rapidly, used of physical objects or abstract values like prices.

- The hawk suddenly dived from the sky to catch a mouse.
- Stock prices dived following the news of the company's unexpected quarterly losses.

### 4. to start with energy

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to start doing something with a lot of interest and energy.

For teachers: to begin an activity or task with great enthusiasm or without hesitation; often used with 'in' or 'into'.

- I'm ready to dive into this new project and get to work.
- Without waiting for instructions, the new intern dived into the data and found the error within minutes.

### 5. a jump into water

noun · CEFR A2

an act of jumping into water head-first.

For teachers: an instance of plunging headfirst into water.

- His first dive of the competition earned him a very high score.
- The judge noted that the diver's entry into the water was slightly angled during his final dive.

### 6. a seedy bar

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a cheap bar or club that is not very clean or respectable.

For teachers: a disreputable or shabby bar, nightclub, or similar establishment.

- It looks like a dive from the outside, but they serve the best burgers in town.
- The private investigator met his contact in a dimly lit dive on the edge of the waterfront.

Usage: Often used with the word 'bar' as in 'dive bar'.

### 7. faking a foul

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

in sports, when a player falls down on purpose to try to get a penalty.

For teachers: a deliberate fall by a player, intended to deceive the referee into awarding a foul.

- The referee gave him a yellow card for taking a dive in the penalty area.
- The replay clearly showed that there was no contact, and the striker had taken a blatant dive to win a penalty.

## Examples

- The local dive serves the best burgers in town.
- We spent the evening at a local dive because it was the only place open after the concert ended.
- Despite its peeling wallpaper and dim lighting, the neighborhood dive remains a beloved institution for those seeking an unpretentious atmosphere and affordable prices.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.