ditch

1 of 2

noun

ˈdich 

: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)

ditch

2 of 2

verb

ditched; ditching; ditches

transitive verb

1

a

: to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1)

The pasture was hedged and ditched.

b

: to dig a ditch in

2

aviation : to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water

successfully ditched the plane

3

a

: to get rid of : discard

ditch an old car

had to ditch their plan

b

: to end association with : leave

ditched school

His girlfriend ditched him.

intransitive verb

1

: to dig a ditch

2

aviation : to crash-land at sea

Synonyms

Noun

• trench
• gutter
• ravine

Verb

• dump
• leave

Examples of ditch in a Sentence

Noun

He drove the car into the ditch.

after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch

Verb

The thief ditched the purse in an alley.

They ditched the car in a vacant lot.

They ditched me at the concert.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025

In Rulon’s field, a parallel drain runs alongside the open ditch. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025

Verb

Their underground campaign ditched the standard teaser, trailer, poster and TV spots approach for a single cryptic billboard, a mysterious telephone number, and a trail of online breadcrumbs to entice fans to figure out the mystery of the film. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025

Great for saving space and ditching questionable hotel mini toiletries. —Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English dich, from Old English dīc dike, ditch; akin to Middle High German tīch pond, dike

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing ditch

• last ditch

Rhymes for ditch

• bitch
• fiche
• glitch
• hitch
• ich
• itch
• kitsch
• lich
• mitch
• niche
• pitch
• snitch

Kids Definition

ditch

1 of 2 noun

ˈdich 

: a long narrow channel or trench dug in the earth

ditch

2 of 2 verb

1

: to dig a ditch in or around

2

a

: to get rid of : discard

ditch an old car

b

: to end association with : leave

his girlfriend ditched him

3

: to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water