plunge

American  

[pluhnj] / plʌndʒ /

verb (used with object)

• plunges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plunged,
  past participle,  past
• plunging
  present participle

1. to cast or thrust forcibly or suddenly into something, as a liquid, a penetrable substance, a place, etc.; immerse; submerge.

   to plunge a dagger into one's heart.

2. to bring suddenly or forcibly into some condition, situation, etc..

   to plunge a country into war; to pull a switch and plunge a house into darkness.

3. Horticulture. to place (a potted plant) up to its rim in soil or in certain other materials, as sand or moss.

4. Surveying. to transit (the telescope of a transit or theodolite).

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verb (used without object)

• plunges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plunged,
  past participle,  past
• plunging
  present participle

1. to cast oneself, or fall as if cast, into water, a hole, etc.

   Synonyms:

   dive

2. to rush or dash with headlong haste.

   to plunge through a crowd.

   Synonyms:

   hasten

3. to bet or speculate recklessly.

   to plunge on the stock market.

4. to throw oneself impetuously or abruptly into some condition, situation, matter, etc..

   to plunge into debt.

5. to descend abruptly or precipitously, as a cliff, road, etc.

   Synonyms:

   drop

6. to pitch violently forward, as a horse, ship, etc.

noun

• plunges
  plural

1. act of plunging.

2. a leap or dive, as into water.

3. a headlong or impetuous rush or dash.

   a plunge into danger.

4. a sudden, violent pitching movement.

5. a place for plunging or diving, as a swimming pool.

6. Geology. pitch.

idioms

1. take the plunge, to enter with sudden decision upon an unfamiliar course of action, as after hesitation or deliberation.

   She took the plunge and invested her entire savings in the plan.

plunge British  

/ plʌndʒ /

verb

1. (usually foll by into) to thrust or throw (something, oneself, etc)

   they plunged into the sea

2. to throw or be thrown into a certain state or condition

   the room was plunged into darkness

3. (usually foll by into) to involve or become involved deeply (in)

   he plunged himself into a course of Sanskrit

4. (intr) to move or dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity

5. (intr) to descend very suddenly or steeply

   the ship plunged in heavy seas

   a plunging neckline

6. informal (intr) to speculate or gamble recklessly, for high stakes, etc

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noun

1. a leap or dive as into water

2. informal a swim; dip

3. a place where one can swim or dive, such as a swimming pool

4. a headlong rush

   a plunge for the exit

5. a pitching or tossing motion

6. informal

   1. to resolve to do something dangerous or irrevocable

   2. to get married

plunge More Idioms  

1. see take the plunge.

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Synonym Usage

See dip ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• replunge
  verb
• unplunged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• plunges
  plural

Participles

• plunging
  present
• plunged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• plunge
  simple
• plunges
  simple
• have plunged
  perfect
• has plunged
  perfect
• am plunging
  progressive
• are plunging
  progressive
• is plunging
  progressive
• have been plunging
  perfect progressive
• has been plunging
  perfect progressive

Past

• plunged
  simple
• had plunged
  perfect
• was plunging
  progressive
• were plunging
  progressive
• had been plunging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will plunge
  simple
• will have plunged
  perfect
• will be plunging
  progressive
• will have been plunging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of plunge

1325–75; Middle English < Middle French plung ( i ) er ≪ Vulgar Latin *plumbicāre to heave the lead. See plumb

Explanation

Plunge is a noun and a verb related to diving, falling, and sinking. A "polar bear plunge" is when people plunge into freezing cold water for charity or, inexplicably, for fun. As a noun, plunge means “a brief swim” or “a fall.” As a verb, plunge has a variety of definitions. Plunge can mean “to devote yourself fully," as you might plunge into a job by working day and night. Similarly, if you plunge into a good book, you don't let anything distract you from your reading. Plunge can also mean “fall abruptly.” Someone’s reputation might plunge after a scandal, or the stock market might plunge when investors react to bad news.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plunge plunges plunged plunging

Investigators are examining the incident more broadly, including technical, operational, medical and human factors, and it remains unclear what caused the aircraft to plunge.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Spanning 3,180 square feet, the home is akin to a resort-level wellness retreat, offering a large cedar hot tub, a cold plunge, and a dry sauna.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Many of the bodies, like Morup's, are in what climbers call Everest's death zone – where temperatures can plunge to -40C and oxygen levels are about a third of those at sea level.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

SpaceX’s 43% plunge from highs after its record debut included a 14% decline Wednesday following its first earnings report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

After Uranus it will plunge on past Neptune, leaving the solar system, becoming an interstellar spacecraft, fated to roam forever the great ocean between the stars.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

“PRP, stem cells, cold plunges, GLP-1s,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Spikes in that ratio have flagged short-term stock peaks in the last two decades, as plunges flagged several market troughs.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Kiki, however, lives in a world that sees magic as part of the natural order, which plunges her into an existential crisis when she loses hers.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Capitol, which plunges us into the grim reality of the Civil War battlefield.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

She plunges her big hand down, selects a match, hands it over to me.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

After Dodgers relievers Evan Phillips and Tanner Scott threw a pair of scoreless innings, Dodger Stadium was plunged into darkness before Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco” sounded over the speakers to a light show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Railway services were plunged into chaos after a train derailed in Essex.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

A UC Santa Cruz student died after the vehicle she was in veered off a road near the university, dropped off a seaside cliff and plunged into the Pacific, according to officials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The total eclipse plunged a vast swathe of Spain from broad daylight into darkness Wednesday, drawing awed gasps and applause from spectators gathered in parks and cities across the country.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Torak left the glade and plunged back into the shadows beneath the trees.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Births fell last year by nearly four percent, plunging the fertility rate to an 80-year low, national statistics show.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

The index more than doubled its value since the start of the year to rise above 9,000 points in mid-June, before plunging to 5,500 within a few weeks.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Some tech shares are plunging - what does that mean for the AI revolution?

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Ballistic missiles travel into the upper atmosphere or space before plunging back down toward a target, but not all are capable of maneuvering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

For a moment, she felt as though she were falling from a great height, plunging through air and blackness, tumbling down with nothing to catch at.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Related Words

• descend
• dip
• drive
• drop
• go down
• hurtle
• jump
• nose-dive
• plummet
• sink
• throw
• tumble