delve
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to inquire or research deeply or intensively (for information, etc)
he delved in the Bible for quotations
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to search or rummage (in a drawer, the pockets, etc)
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(esp of an animal) to dig or burrow deeply (into the ground, etc)
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archaic (also tr) to dig or turn up (earth, a garden, etc), as with a spade
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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delvesimple
-
delvessimple
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have delvedperfect
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has delvedperfect
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am delvingprogressive
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are delvingprogressive
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is delvingprogressive
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have been delvingperfect progressive
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has been delvingperfect progressive
Past
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delvedsimple
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had delvedperfect
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was delvingprogressive
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were delvingprogressive
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had been delvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of delve
First recorded before 900; Middle English delven, Old English delfan; cognate with Dutch delven, Old High German telban
Explanation
The verb delve means to dig into, loosen, or investigate. She delved into her family's history and discovered an inventor, a checkers champion, and a circus equestrian in her ancestry. Delve has a literal meaning of to dig into the earth ("to delve the soil," as in preparing a garden, for example), but this sense is rare now. The verb is most often used in the more figurative sense — like to delve into a problem or into someone's personal life.
Vocabulary lists containing delve
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Words for the High School Graduate
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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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.
In a pop-up Slate Plus bonus episode of Amicus, Mark and Dahlia delve deeper into that decision.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
The programme also saw her delve into rumours of a family murder and learn why her grandfather was put up for adoption, despite having loving parents and siblings.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
For Mistral, the move represents an opportunity to delve into a niche and highly technical arena where users expect increasingly capable models that understand jurisdictional nuances and comply with data-privacy requirements.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
They even delve into the order and timing of the deaths of the clients, which is particularly tricky when it involves a married couple.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
I will not believe it haunted but prepare to delve into the Plasticity of Sound.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
