Synonyms of digging

digging

verb

present participle of dig

1

as in excavating

to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth

a backhoe dug a hole in the backyard to make a swimming pool

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excavating
• shoveling
• dredging
• clawing
• mining
• grubbing
• burrowing
• delving
• scooping
• quarrying
• spading
• digging in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• filling (in)
• smoothing (out or over)

2

as in enjoying

to take pleasure in

I really dig bluegrass music

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enjoying
• savoring
• loving
• liking
• relishing
• fancying
• taking to
• getting off (on)
• admiring
• grooving (on)
• rejoicing (in)
• going for
• appreciating
• adoring
• reveling (in)
• delighting (in)
• getting a kick out of
• revering
• venerating
• valuing
• having a soft spot for
• being partial to
• treasuring
• worshipping
• devouring
• drinking (in)
• eating (up)
• cherishing
• preferring
• feasting (on)
• prizing
• idolizing
• doting (on)
• indulging (in)
• favoring
• luxuriating (in)
• wallowing (in)
• cottoning (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hating
• disliking
• detesting
• loathing
• abhorring
• condemning
• despising
• abominating
• scorning

3

as in knowing

to have a clear idea of

can you dig what I'm saying?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knowing
• deciphering
• understanding
• grasping
• seeing
• recognizing
• comprehending
• appreciating
• getting
• realizing
• sensing
• making
• discerning
• seizing
• perceiving
• decoding
• conceiving
• assimilating
• intuiting
• apprehending
• registering
• catching
• twigging
• tumbling (to)
• beholding
• grokking
• making out
• savvying
• catching on (to)
• cognizing
• compassing
• digesting
• picking up on
• fathoming
• absorbing
• cottoning (to or on to)
• penetrating
• taking in
• piercing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• missing
• misunderstanding
• misreading
• misinterpreting
• mistaking
• misconstruing
• misconceiving
• misperceiving
• misapprehending

4

as in poking

to urge or push forward with or as if with a pointed object

every time I slowed down, he'd dig me in the ribs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poking
• stabbing
• prodding
• punching
• spurring
• goading
• knocking
• jabbing
• nudging
• drilling
• jogging
• sticking
• chucking
• perforating
• pricking
• propelling
• driving
• puncturing
• piercing
• boring
• haling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of digging

The three-story building gave way while construction workers were digging Wednesday afternoon at an adjacent lot, causing New York City’s mayor to order inspections at about 100 building sites involving companies related to the project. — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026

In August 2025, utility workers digging trenches for a natural gas project in Lima, Peru, uncovered two 1,000-year-old tombs in a single day. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Aerial videos showed firefighters digging at least one person out of the rubble and removing them on a stretcher. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026

Rescuers are digging through the debris to reach the woman trapped beneath the concrete slab. — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026

And while some snakes are perfectly capable of digging their own holes, most are content to move into ones that other animals have already made. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 7 Nov. 2026

Other names for November’s full moon refer to animals preparing for winter and the onset of colder days, such as the digging moon, deer rutting moon, whitefish moon and frost moon, the almanac said. — Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Despite efforts from the Rich County Sheriff’s Office, investigating possible sightings, and digging through digital evidence, Kylie remained missing. — Veronica Fulton-Mazaika, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026

Getting permission is another, especially when digging permits for fiber optic cable might conflict with other local infrastructure, like roads or railways. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Nov. 2026