dive

noun

plural dives

1

: the act or an instance of diving: such as

a(1)

: a plunge into water executed in a prescribed manner

practicing her dives

(2)

nautical : a submerging of a submarine

(3)

aviation : a steep descent of an airplane at greater than the maximum speed of horizontal flight

b

: a sharp decline

Stocks took a dive.

2

: a shabby, cheap, or disreputable establishment (such as a bar, restaurant, or nightclub)

… dives where customers could buy their evening supply of cheap beer, in buckets or pitchers.

—Kathleen Odean

The squatty, no-frills eatery, surrounded by parking lot, looks like a total dive. And frankly, it is.

—Mimi Brodeur

see also dive bar

3

combat sports : a faked knockout

—usually used in the phrase take a dive

a boxer accused of taking a dive

4

American football : an offensive (see offensive entry 1 sense 1c) play in which the ballcarrier plunges into the line (see line entry 1 sense 7f(2)) for short yardage

Synonyms of dive

• plunge

Examples of dive in a Sentence

She practiced her dives for the competition.

This will be my first dive on a coral reef.

She has done dives all around the world.

The crew of the submarine prepared for a dive.

The jet rolled into a dive.

Recent Examples on the Web

The property sits close to Camana Bay’s shops and restaurants, West Bay Road’s energy and some of Grand Cayman’s best dive and snorkel sites. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

This shocking, eye-opening and surprisingly uplifting documentary dives deep into the business of death, revealing who’s keeping it alive and why. —Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 June 2026

The Wright County Sheriff's Office dive team found the teen's body. —Riley Moser, CBS News, 3 June 2026

The on-site dive center offers sunset sails, snorkeling trips, and PADI scuba certification courses to explore the underwater world. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of dive entry 1

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dive

• back dive
• crash dive
• deep dive
• dive bar
• dive-bomb
• dive for
• dive (right) in
• dive (right) in/into (something)
• free dive
• front dive
• made a dive for cover
• make a dive for
• power dive
• pre-dive
• skin-dive
• swan dive

Rhymes for dive

• drive
• five
• hive
• jive
• live
• strive
• thrive
• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive

Kids Definition

dive

1 of 2 verb

ˈdīv 

dived ˈdīvd  or dove ˈdōv  ; diving

1

a

: to plunge into water headfirst

b

: submerge sense 1

2

a

: to fall fast

the temperature dived at night

b

: to descend in an airplane at a very steep angle

3

a

: to plunge into some matter or activity

b

: to thrust oneself forward suddenly : lunge

dived for cover

diver noun

dive

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or an instance of diving: as

a

: a plunge into water done in a specified manner

b

: a steep downward movement of a submarine or an airplane

c

: a sharp drop (as in prices)

2

: a shabby place (as a bar)

3

: a faked knockout in boxing