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

The Hall-of-Fame headwinds Wilson faces extend beyond his career nosedive after Seattle traded him to the Denver Broncos in 2022. —Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 June 2026

There are a number of signs beyond this V6 issue that their reliability has taken a nosedive. —Joel Feder, The Drive, 3 June 2026

The nosedive in trust in journalism is multifactorial, and journalists themselves are not without blame. —Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026

Elon Musk’s plan to begin launching one million AI data center satellites into orbit in 2028 could trigger a financial catastrophe, sending SpaceX into a high-speed nosedive, say leading North American space scholars. —Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 31 May 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