to jump into water with your head and arms going in first, to swim underwater, especially using special breathing equipment, to fall quickly from a high position

take a dive, make a dive for, into the deep end

dive bar, dive bomb, belly flop

Formal and Informal Expressions of dive

In different contexts, you can replace 'dive' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'plunge, submerge' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'jump, drop' is a commonplace synonym.

dive: Explore its Definition & Usage

dive Definition

1to jump into water with your head and arms going in first
2to swim underwater, especially using special breathing equipment
3to fall quickly from a high position

Using dive: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "dive" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The children love to dive into the pool.
Example
He dove off the diving board.
Example
She learned how to dive when she was on vacation.
Example
The submarine can dive to a depth of 500 meters.
Example
The plane dove towards the ground before pulling up at the last moment.

dive Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for dive

Antonyms for dive

Idioms Using dive

take a dive
to deliberately lose a competition or game in order to gain an advantage
Example
There were rumors that the boxer took a dive in the championship fight.
make a dive for
to move quickly and suddenly towards something
Example
He made a dive for the ball and caught it just before it hit the ground.
into the deep end
to start doing something difficult or challenging without any preparation or experience
Example
I was thrown into the deep end on my first day of work and had to learn everything on the fly.

Phrases with dive

dive bar
a small, cheap, and often run-down bar
Example
Let's go to that dive bar down the street for a drink.
dive bomb
to drop suddenly and steeply in flight, like a bird of prey
Example
The fighter jet made a dive bomb towards the enemy target.
belly flop
a dive in which the front of the body hits the water flat and hard
Example
He tried to do a fancy dive but ended up doing a belly flop.

Origins of dive

from Old English 'dyfan', meaning 'to dip'

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Summary: dive in Brief

The verb 'dive' [daɪv] has several meanings, including jumping into water headfirst, swimming underwater, and falling quickly from a high position. It can also refer to a type of bar or a steep drop in flight. Idioms include 'take a dive,' meaning to deliberately lose a competition, and 'into the deep end,' meaning to start something difficult without preparation.