Definition of dig - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
excavationtr./intr. move earth to make a holetr./intr.
- They dig a hole for the new tree.
2.
earth removaltr. remove something from the groundtr.
- Farmers dig potatoes from the soil.
3.
actiontr. poke or thrust into somethingtr.
- He digs his fork into the steak.
4.
researchtr./intr. study or investigate thoroughlytr./intr.
- She digs into the history of the town.
5.
- I really dig your new hairstyle.!
6.
sportstr. TECH. US defend against a volleyball attacktr. TECH. US
- She digs the ball perfectly during the match.
Noun
1.
ground excavationact of digging into the ground
- The dig for ancient artifacts started early in the morning..
2.
pokethrust or poke, especially in the ribs
- He gave me a dig in the ribs to get my attention.
3.
- She couldn't resist making a dig at his outfit.
4.
archaeologyarchaeological excavation site
- The team discovered ancient artifacts at the dig.
5.
sportsTECH. defensive pass in volleyballTECH.
- She made an impressive dig to save the point.
Images of dig
archaeological excavation site 
defensive pass in volleyball
Expressions with dig
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
search for something by moving things around
She dug around in her bag for the keys.
remove earth or material from a spot
He decided to dig at the garden for new plants.
remove earth to reach something below
They had to dig down to find the pipes.
start eating with enthusiasm
As soon as the food arrived, they all dug in.
start eating enthusiastically
He couldn't wait to dig into his steak..
find something by searching
She managed to dig out her old college photos from the box..
remove or recover by digging
Farmers dig up potatoes during harvest.
move material aside while searching inside something like soil or snow
They had to dig through the snow to reach the front door.
save someone or something from a difficult or bad situation
They managed to dig out of a hole after the financial crisis.
harm personal health by regularly eating very unhealthy food
If Mark keeps overeating junk food, he will dig his grave with a fork.
harm health by eating too much or unhealthy food
He is digging his grave with a spoon by eating junk food every day.
create a difficult situation that is hard to escape from
He really dug a hole for himself with that mistake.
use a lot of effort or resources
He had to dig deep to finish the marathon.
exert more effort or resources
To finish the project on time, we need to dig deeper.
search for scandalous information about someone
Reporters often dig dirt on celebrities for stories.
act stubbornly against opposition or pressure
Despite the criticism, she dug in her heels.
search for information about past events
She likes to dig in the past for family history.
push someone lightly in the side to get attention
He tried to dig in the ribs to make her laugh.
refuse to change your opinion or plan
You dug in your heels and refused to revise the schedule.
spend or give money, often with some reluctance
I had to dig into my pocket to pay for repairs.
refuse to change one's plans or ideas
Despite the advice, she dug her heels in.
act in a way that causes one's own failure
By lying to everyone, he dug his own grave.
put oneself in more trouble by making bad decisions
He dug himself in a hole by lying to his boss.
uncover hidden or secret information
They hired a detective to dig the dirt on their competitor.
Origin of dig
Old English, dīc (ditch)
Terms with dig included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
ground nesting
dig a tunnel or hole for shelter
gathering
dig in sand to find clams
physical digging
dig or excavate deeply
digging gold
search and dig in the ground to get gold
digging
dig out using the snout
animals digging
dig or tunnel deeply inside something
animal behavior
dig in the ground with the snout
excavation
dig a long narrow ditch in the ground
removal
scoop or dig something out forcefully
excavation
dig something out of the ground
digging
dig ditches or trenches
animal
dig with the snout
construction
dig a ditch or raise an earthwork
burial
dig up a buried body for examination
roadworks
block or dig up a road for repairs or work
garden
dig and smooth soil with a small handheld gardening tool
technology
large machine used to dig tunnels
digging
dig underneath for destructive purposes
construction
dig an artificial waterway in a place
dig site
group of artifacts found together
digging
dig to create a ditch or trench
extract
dig up or remove from the ground
animal behavior
shallow furrow left where pigs dig while foraging
agriculture
dig or plough the ground
Examples of dig in a sentence
Workers dig to lay the foundation of the building. Workers dig trenches for the new pipeline. Archaeologists dig artifacts from ancient sites. She dug her fingers into the soft clay. The dog dug its nose into the blanket. He digs into the data to find patterns.
The journalist digs into corruption scandals. I dig the new album by that band. She really digs his sense of humor. He managed to dig the ball just in time. The team practiced how to dig effectively. The team continued the dig despite the rain. A dig was organized to find the buried treasure. She gave her brother a dig in the side. A playful dig from Tom made me laugh. His dig about her lateness was unnecessary. The meeting was full of subtle digs at the new policy. The dig revealed layers of history beneath the soil. Volunteers at the dig unearthed pottery shards. His dig kept the ball in play. The team practiced their dig techniques.
View all translations of dig
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:creuser, fouille, ...
- German:graben, Ausgrabung, ...
- Italian:scavare, scavo, ...
- Spanish:cavar, excavación, ...
- Portuguese:cavar, escavação, ...
- Chinese:挖, 挖掘, ...
- Japanese:掘る, 発掘, ...
- Arabic:حَفَرَ, حَفْر, ...
- Hebrew:לַחְפּוֹר, חֲפִירָה, ...
- Russian:копать, копание, ...
- Ukrainian:копати, розкопки, ...
- Hindi:खोदना, खुदाई, ...
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