Plunge definition

plŭnj
plunged plunges plunging
See word origin
Frequency:
To dive, jump, or throw oneself.

We plunged into the lake.

verb
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To become suddenly lower; decrease dramatically.

Stock prices plunged during the banking crisis.

verb
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To slope steeply downward.

A cliff that plunges to the sea.

verb
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To fall rapidly.

The car went off the road and plunged into the gully.

verb
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The act or an instance of plunging.

A plunge off the dock.

noun
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A sudden or dramatic decline.

A plunge in prices.

noun
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A swim; a dip.
noun
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To thrust, throw, or force suddenly (into a liquid, hole, condition, etc.)

To plunge an oar into the water, to plunge a country into debt.

verb
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To throw oneself, dive, or rush, as into water, a fight, etc.
verb
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To move violently and rapidly downward or forward.
verb
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To pitch, as a ship.
verb
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To slope steeply, as a road.
verb
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To extend far down in a revealing way.

A plunging neckline or back.

verb
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To fall off or decline precipitously.
verb
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(informal) To spend, gamble, or speculate heavily or rashly.
verb
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Any steep and rapid descent.
noun
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A place for plunging, or swimming.
noun
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To enter or move headlong through something.

The hunting dogs plunged into the forest.

verb
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To move forward and downward violently.

The ship plunged through rough seas.

verb
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The definition of a plunge is a place for swimming or an act of diving or jumping into an activity.

An example of a plunge is jumping right into learning how to scuba dive.

noun
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Plunge is defined as to dive, thrust or go into something, usually with force or speed.

An example of to plunge is to jump into the ocean for a swim.

verb
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To thrust or throw forcefully into a substance or place.

Plunged the eggs into the hot water; plunged the fork into the potato.

verb
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To cast suddenly, violently, or deeply into a given state or situation.
verb
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To use a plunger to try to unblock (a drain, for example).
verb
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(informal) A heavy, rash investment or speculation.
noun
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A dive or downward leap.
noun
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A swim.
noun
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The act of plunging or submerging.
noun
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A dive, leap, rush, or pitch into (into water)

To take the water with a plunge.

Plunge in the sea.

noun
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(figuratively) The act of pitching or throwing one's self headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
noun
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(slang) Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation.
noun
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To thrust into water, or into any substance that is penetrable; to immerse.

To plunge the body into water.

verb
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(figuratively) To cast or throw into some thing, state, condition or action.

To plunge a dagger into the breast; to plunge a nation into war.

verb
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(intransitive) To dive, leap or rush (into water or some liquid); to submerge one's self.

He plunged into the river.

verb
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(figuratively, intransitive) To fall or rush headlong into some thing, action, state or condition.

To plunge into debt; to plunge into controversy.

verb
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(intransitive) To pitch or throw one's self headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.
verb
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(intransitive, slang) To bet heavily and with seeming recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations.
verb
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To devote oneself to or undertake an activity earnestly or wholeheartedly.

I plunged into my studies. She plunged ahead with her plan.

verb
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(informal) take the plunge
  • To begin an unfamiliar venture, especially after hesitating:
    After a three-year engagement, they're finally taking the plunge.
idiom
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take the plunge
  • to start on a new and seemingly uncertain enterprise, esp. after some hesitation
idiom
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Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Origin of plunge

  • Middle English plungen from Old French plongier from Vulgar Latin plumbicāre to heave a sounding lead from Latin plumbum lead

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English plungen, ploungen, Anglo-Norman plungier, from Old French plonger, (Modern French plonger), from unattested Late Latin frequentative *plumbicare (“to throw a leaded line"), from Latin plumbum (“lead"). Compare plumb, plounce.

    From Wiktionary

Plunge Sentence Examples

  • Let's not just plunge into this.

  • Unwilling to go on, she stopped and hugged herself, watching Keaton plunge into the water.

  • Let go of the past and plunge in with me.

  • He actually made the plunge into that bottomless black pool sound almost enticing.

  • He did not plunge headlong into the wars of Louis XI.

More sentences

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Words near plunge in the Dictionary