dig
verb (used without object)
to break up, turn over, or remove earth, sand, etc., as with a shovel, spade, bulldozer, or claw; make an excavation.
dig
1 American
[dig]
/ dɪg /
verb (used without object)
dug,
digged,
digging
-
to break up, turn over, or remove earth, sand, etc., as with a shovel, spade, bulldozer, or claw; make an excavation.
-
to make one's way or work by or as by removing or turning over material.
to dig through the files.
verb (used with object)
dug,
digged,
digging
-
to break up, turn over, or loosen (earth, sand, etc.), as with a shovel, spade, or bulldozer (often followed byup ).
-
to form or excavate (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by removing material.
-
to unearth, obtain, or remove by digging (often followed by up orout ).
-
to find or discover by effort or search.
-
to poke, thrust, or force (usually followed by in orinto ).
He dug his heel into the ground.
noun
-
digs
plural
verb phrase
-
dig up
-
to discover in the course of digging.
-
to locate; find.
to dig up information.
-
-
dig into to attack, work, or apply oneself voraciously, vigorously, or energetically: to dig into a meal.
to dig into one's work;
to dig into a meal.
-
dig in
-
to dig trenches, as in order to defend a position in battle.
-
to maintain one's opinion or position.
-
to start eating.
-
-
dig out
-
to remove earth or debris from by digging.
-
to hollow out by digging.
-
to find by searching.
to dig out facts for a term paper.
-
dig
2
American
[dig]
/ dɪg /
verb (used with object)
Slang.
dug,
digging
-
to understand.
Can you dig what I'm saying?
-
to take notice of.
Dig those shoes he's wearing.
-
to like, love, or enjoy.
She digs that kind of music. We really dig each other.
dig.
3
American
abbreviation
dig
1
British
/ dɪɡ /
verb
-
to cut into, break up, and turn over or remove (earth, soil, etc), esp with a spade
-
to form or excavate (a hole, tunnel, passage, etc) by digging, usually with an implement or (of animals) with feet, claws, etc
to dig a tunnel
-
(often foll by through) to make or force (one's way), esp by removing obstructions
he dug his way through the crowd
-
(tr; often foll by out or up) to obtain by digging
to dig potatoes
to dig up treasure
-
(tr; often foll by out or up) to find or discover by effort or searching
to dig out unexpected facts
-
(tr; foll by in or into) to thrust or jab (a sharp instrument, weapon, etc); poke
he dug his spurs into the horse's side
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(tr; foll by in or into) to mix (compost, etc) with soil by digging
-
informal (tr) to like, understand, or appreciate
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slang (intr) to work hard, esp for an examination
-
informal (intr) to have lodgings
I dig in South London
noun
-
the act of digging
-
a thrust or poke, esp in the ribs
-
a cutting or sarcastic remark
-
informal an archaeological excavation
Dig
2
British
/ dɪɡ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dig1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English diggen, deggen; perhaps from Middle French diguer “to dig,” from the same Germanic source as ditch ( def. )
Origin of dig2
First recorded in 1935–40; origin uncertain; perhaps the same as dig 1 ( def. )
Explanation
When you dig, you scoop or shovel up dirt, sand, or some other material. Your dog might whine to go outside so she can dig a hole in your dad's garden. You can dig with your hands, a shovel, or even a tractor or backhoe. City crews dig up roads to repair water pipes, and gardeners dig small for planting bulbs. You can even say you dig your brother in the side when you jab him there. If someone says, "I dig you," they mean, "I understand," and if they say, "I dig your outfit," they like it. Both slang usages come from 1930s African American English.
Vocabulary lists containing dig
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
You hardly have to dig deep into history for a time when the 10-year yielded less than 4%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
"But I could feel their willingness to do well, and so for them to have to dig really deep, and to see everybody having that feeling that we all crave, that's why we're all here."
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
And if you dig a little further, you can cut your portfolio risk and boost returns while still participating in the AI trend.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
To ease nerves about giving large amounts of money while you’re still alive, dig into the numbers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
I tied the edge of my shawl over my nose and mouth and began to dig with a small shelf of rock.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
"There were some other amazing finds on the dig. It was a field of dreams."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2023
“That’s fine. I can dig. Wouldn’t trust anyone under 30 who didn’t poke at his or her or their elders. But it doesn’t mean that I or we have got to oblige.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 19, 2020
“We dig, dig, dig. We call it the stone way, the way of stones.”
From The Guardian ● Sep. 17, 2019
When Hope asks him if he’s off by himself looking for gold, he answers: “No. I just like to dig. I used to live in a hole.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2016
“He says if we want to eat, we must dig. Our ration depends on our progress.”
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
Dig into one’s ideas too much, and eventually they’ll become hollow.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
Dig deeper, though, and you can see why the Fed might have held fire anyway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
“You can really see the impact she had on them,” said Kellie Jones, a scholar and independent curator who organized “Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960-1980” at the Hammer Museum in 2011.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Cava, despite the broader company’s stock decline, was still packed with salad-hungry customers; so were Naya and Dig Inn.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
They run together, but at the end, the other girl finishes more strongly Her stride lengthens, and a man keeps yelling, “Go, Annie! Go, Annie! Dig ’em in, love!
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Aarthi Swaminathan digs into what’s behind the trend and what it means for buyers who do need a mortgage.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Christina Cauterucci digs into the intertwined history of organized crime and fruit, including the establishment of the Sicilian Mafia in response to a lemon farming boom.
From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2026
If those celebrations aren’t quite justified, there’s still something to be learned from the ordeal, which digs into the so-called dead internet theory.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
Further digs could take place in the future.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
He digs into a pile of scrambled eggs.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
“It seemed like it digged the piece,” Aitken said, as wide-eyed and sincere as he is when talking about all of his work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2024
Spade never digged a pit as murky, foul, treacherous as that which gapes for the spirit of a golfer who is off his form.
From Time Magazine Archive
Then, as a double precaution against double voting, each digged his fingers in a pot of indelible ink and presented his forearm to let one square inch of hair be shaved off.
From Time Magazine Archive
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth and hid his lord's money.
From Time Magazine Archive
Men were laboring with Mattocks & Axes & Picks & rustic Grubbing Hoes — & together they digged out & built up the Breastworks & Redoubts at the Eminence of the Hill.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
As rambunctious teenagers, we chafed when they insisted we join them in digging plants near our house.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Nithya has also been willing to listen to and engage community members on key issues, rather than digging her heels in to advance special interests,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Further digging revealed similar articles had been published about some of the other favourites to win the men's and women's awards, including Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and London City Lionesses' Putellas.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
"I never imagined I'd have to be digging a well, just as I never imagined I'd have to be cooking with coal or installing solar panels," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Livingston began digging in the pile of stuff.
From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan
The team dug in, stayed strong and we got our rewards.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Goalkeeper Scott Bain excelled in goal for Falkirk against his former club - as O'Neill acknowledged - and Falkirk dug in when they needed to get over the line.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
A Claude agent dug through the company’s Slack messages and internal documents to identify 15,000 tasks of AI R&D work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
On Saturday, preparations were underway for the victims' funerals the following day and church officials had dug a mass grave, which will become a memorial.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
The crows brought him silver buttons and paper clips, and coins which he dug holes in and strung onto a shoelace and wore round his neck.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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