English Reference
noun · adjective

diving

n. · adj.
US /ˈdaɪvɪŋ/ UK /dˈaɪvɪŋ/ div·ing

  1. 01 A2 Elementary Sport

    n.the sport of jumping into water with your head first, often doing flips or twists.

    n.the sport or activity of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, usually while performing acrobatic manoeuvres.

    Simple

    She won a gold medal in high-board diving at the summer games.

    In context

    The judges awarded high scores for the complexity of the dive and the minimal splash created upon entry into the pool.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    n.swimming deep under the surface of the water, often using special breathing equipment.

    n.the activity of swimming underwater, typically using scuba gear or holding one's breath to explore marine environments.

    Simple

    We went diving in the Red Sea to look at the colourful coral reefs.

    In context

    Technical diving requires extensive training and specialized equipment to manage the physiological risks of deep-sea exploration.

    scuba divingsnorkelling
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Sport

    n.in sports like football, pretending to fall down to trick the referee into giving a penalty.

    n.the act of deliberately falling to the ground to deceive an official into awarding a foul or penalty.

    Simple

    The striker was criticized for diving in the penalty area during the final minutes.

    In context

    The referee issued a yellow card for diving, as the slow-motion replay clearly showed there was no physical contact between the players.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.describing something that is moving or falling quickly downwards.

    adj.characterised by a sudden or steep descent; often used to describe physical movement or birds of prey.

    Simple

    The diving bird caught a fish just before it hit the water.

    In context

    The pilot managed to pull the aircraft out of a diving spiral just seconds before impact.

    descendingplummeting

By surface analysis, dive + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Common
Updated