nosedive

American  

[nohz-dahyv] / ˈnoʊzˌdaɪv /

noun

1. a plunge of an aircraft with the forward part pointing downward.

2. a sudden sharp drop or rapid decline.

   a time when market values were in a nosedive.

---

verb (used without object)

nosedived, nosedove, nosedived, nosediving

1. to go into a nosedive.

   a warning that prices might nosedive.

Etymology

Origin of nosedive

First recorded in 1910–15; nose + dive

Example Sentences

Somewhere over the winter, as defeats piled up and Spurs tumbled down the standings, they had entered a catastrophic nosedive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Elite LIV Golf players have seen their world rankings nosedive, complicating their ability to qualify for golf's four major championships, whose fields are largely determined by rankings.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

The number of new jobs created this year has taken a nosedive, and the unemployment rate has crept up to a four-year high of 4.6%.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

Theatrical attendance was already in decline before the pandemic accelerated that nosedive.

From Salon • Dec. 10, 2025

Perhaps it was because Lady Constance’s Fulcrum of Fortune had taken a nosedive, or perhaps it was the foolish pirate outfit—for whatever reason, and despite the desirability of the ticket, Lady Constance found no takers.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood