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 of ditch

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

Treat standing water that cannot be eliminated, such as retention ponds or drainage ditches, with a mosquito larvicide. — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

The tribes also have worked together after rains to orchestrate rescue missions for chi that are trapped in puddles, offshoots and agricultural ditches. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Verb

Restaurateurs, especially small or family-run businesses, are ditching graphic designers and food photographers in favor of much cheaper AI agents. — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Still, Wilson Jones doesn’t think the theory that the ancient Greeks were attempting an optical illusion should be ditched entirely. — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

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