nosedive

noun

nose·​dive ˈnōz-ˌdīv 

1

: a downward nose-first plunge of a flying object (such as an airplane)

2

: a sudden extreme drop

stock prices took a nosedive

nose-dive intransitive verb

Synonyms of nosedive

• drop
• dip
• decline
• plunge
• descent
• fall

Examples of nosedive in a Sentence

The plane went into a nosedive.

The stock market took a nosedive.

Recent Examples on the Web

These changes helped make the collective structure more solid and helped the Argentinian play the best football of his Stamford Bridge career, but came at the cost of other things — most notably contributing to the nosedive in form of Cole Palmer. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Goal markers were slipping, creativity had stalled and employee satisfaction was taking a nosedive. — Janine Schindler, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The sticky wicket, which has been the stickiest for AI-tech megacaps, is investor angst around capital expenditures and a sluggish pace of return that could send the stock on a nosedive. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026

The purchase price represents a 44% value nosedive from the $291 million the seller, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, paid in 2019. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nosedive

• overdrive
• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• khedive
• revive
• survive

Kids Definition

nosedive

1 of 2 noun

nose·​dive ˈnōz-ˌdīv 

1

: a downward nose-first plunge (as of an airplane)

2

: a sudden extreme drop (as in prices)

nose-dive

2 of 2 verb

nose-dived; nose-diving

: to plunge suddenly or sharply