dip
1 of 5verb
ˈdip 
dipped; dipping; dips
transitive verb
1
a
: to plunge or immerse momentarily or partially under the surface (as of a liquid) so as to moisten, cool, or coat
dip candles
b
: to thrust in a way to suggest immersion
c
: to immerse (an animal, such as a sheep or dog) in an antiseptic or parasiticidal solution
2
a
: to lift a portion of by reaching below the surface with something shaped to hold liquid : ladle
b
: to take a portion of (snuff)
3
a
archaic : involve
b
: mortgage
4
a
: to lower and then raise again
dip a flag in salute
b
chiefly British : dim sense 1
5
: to place a pinch of (tobacco) between the lip or cheek and gum
He quit dipping snuff, his only vice outside of an occasional beer.—
John Ed Bradley
John Ed Bradleyintransitive verb
1
a
: to plunge into a liquid and quickly emerge
b
: to immerse something into a processing liquid or finishing material
2
a
: to suddenly drop down or out of sight
b
of an airplane : to drop suddenly before climbing
c
: to decline or decrease moderately and usually temporarily
prices dipped
d
: to lower the body momentarily especially as part of an athletic or dancing motion
3
: to withdraw a part of the contents of something by or as if by reaching down inside it —used with into
dipped into his pocket for changedipped into the family's savings
4
: to examine or read something casually or superficially —used with into
dip into a book
5
: to incline downward from the plane of the horizon
6
: to use dipping tobacco : to place a pinch of tobacco between the lip or cheek and gum
Four years ago doctors removed a pre-cancerous lesion on the inside of his lower lip, and he can't quit dipping. His New Year's resolution was to quit. He lasted three days.—Rick Reilly
Rick Reilly7
US slang : to leave especially suddenly or prematurely
I didn't know anyone at the party so I dipped.
—often used with out On Saturday night, as I'm dipping out early on the decidedly tame afterparty …, I pass one of the models hired by E11even, the Miami nightclub.—Zoë BernardSome actors dip out and pursue a new career while they're young, and others keep going until they can no longer find roles that interest them.—Kristen HarrisAmong the diverse crop of winners was Doja Cat, who took home her first ever Grammy in the pop category—which she had to sprint back to accept after dipping out of the gala for a bathroom break.—trtworld.com"He's been there for me through my darkest times. I'm not just gonna dip out and abandon him when he needs me most."—Dillon Passage, quoted at vanityfair.com
Zoë BernardSome actors dip out and pursue a new career while they're young, and others keep going until they can no longer find roles that interest them.—Kristen HarrisAmong the diverse crop of winners was Doja Cat, who took home her first ever Grammy in the pop category—which she had to sprint back to accept after dipping out of the gala for a bathroom break.—trtworld.com"He's been there for me through my darkest times. I'm not just gonna dip out and abandon him when he needs me most."—Dillon Passage, quoted at vanityfair.com dippable
ˈdi-pə-bəl
adjective dip
2 of 5noun (1)
1
: an act of dipping
especially : a brief plunge into the water for sport or exercise
a quick dip in the pool
2
: inclination downward:
a
: pitch
b
: a sharp downward course : drop
a dip in popularity
c
: the angle that a stratum or similar geologic feature makes with a horizontal plane
3
: the angle formed with the horizon by a magnetic needle free to rotate in the vertical plane
4
: hollow, depression
a dip in the road
5
: something obtained by or used in dipping
a dip of ice cream
a dip of snuff
6
a
: a sauce or soft mixture into which food may be dipped
bean dip
b
: a liquid preparation for the dipping of something
especially : an insecticide or parasiticide for the dipping of animals
a sheep dip
7
slang : pickpocket
dip
3 of 5noun (2)
: a stupid or unsophisticated person
dip
4 of 5abbreviation (1)
diploma
DIP
5 of 5abbreviation (2)
dual in-line package; dual in-line packaging
Synonyms
Verb
- douse
- dowse
- duck
- dunk
- immerse
- souse
- sop
- submerge
- submerse
Noun (1)
- airhead
- birdbrain
- blockhead
- bonehead
- bubblehead
- chowderhead
- chucklehead
- clodpoll
- clodpole
- clot [British]
- cluck
- clunk
- cretin
- cuddy [British dialect]
- cuddie
- deadhead
- dim bulb [slang]
- dimwit
- dodo
- dolt
- donkey
- doofus [slang]
- dope
- dork [slang]
- dullard
- dum-dum
- dumbbell
- dumbhead
- dummkopf
- dummy
- dunce
- dunderhead
- fathead
- gander
- golem
- goof
- goon
- half-wit
- hammerhead
- hardhead
- idiot
- ignoramus
- imbecile
- jackass
- know-nothing
- knucklehead
- lamebrain
- loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
- loon
- lump
- lunkhead
- meathead
- mome [archaic]
- moron
- mug [chiefly British]
- mutt
- natural
- nimrod [slang]
- nincompoop
- ninny
- ninnyhammer
- nit [chiefly British]
- nitwit
- noddy
- noodle
- numskull
- numbskull
- oaf
- pinhead
- prat [British]
- ratbag [chiefly Australian]
- saphead
- schlub [slang]
- shlub
- schnook [slang]
- simpleton
- stock
- stupe
- stupid
- thickhead
- turkey
- woodenhead
- yahoo
- yo-yo
Noun (2)
- declension
- decline
- declivity
- descent
- downgrade
- downhill
- fall
- hang
- hanging
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Use a ladle to dip some water out of the pot. dipping water from a well The sun dipped below the horizon. The road dips over the hill. I saw his head dip below the surface of the water.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan; akin to Old High German tupfen to wash, Lithuanian dubus deep
Noun (2)
back-formation from dippy
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun (1)
1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
1932, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing dip
Kids Definition
dip
1 of 2 verb ˈdip
dipped; dipping
1
: to sink or push briefly into or as if into a liquid
dip a towel in water
dips a hand into his pocket
2
: to lift out with something that holds liquid : ladle
dip water from a pail
3
: to lower and then raise again
dip a flag in salute
4
a
: to drop down into a liquid and quickly come out
oars dipping rhythmically
b
: to put something for treatment under the surface of a liquid
5
a
: to drop down or out of sight
the road dipped below the crest
b
: to decrease somewhat usually for a short time
prices dipped
6
: to reach down inside or as if inside especially to take out a part of the contents
dipped into their savings
7
: to look at or consider something briefly
especially : to read a little of something
dip into a book
dip
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of dipping
especially : a brief plunge into the water for sport or exercise
2
a
: a downward slope
b
: a sharp or slight downward course : drop
a dip in prices
3
: the angle formed with the horizon by a magnetic needle free to rotate in a vertical plane
4
: something obtained by or used in dipping
a dip of ice cream
5
a
: a sauce or soft mixture into which food (as raw vegetables) may be dipped
b
: a liquid into which something may be dipped (as for cleansing or coloring)
Medical Definition
dip
1 of 3 transitive verb ˈdip
dipped; dipping
: to immerse (as a sheep or hog) in an antiseptic or parasiticidal solution
dip
2 of 3 noun1
: a liquid preparation of an insecticide, parasiticide, or fungicide which is applied to animals by immersing them in it
a sheep dip
2
: a vat or tank in which dip is used
DIP
3 of 3 abbreviation distal interphalangeal
dips 1 of 3
verb
1
as in dunks
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid first dip a paper towel in water she dipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out a piece of candy Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- dunks
- ducks
- immerses
- drowns
- submerges
- plunges
- douses
- soaks
- souses
- sops
- dowses
- wets
- floods
- bathes
- steeps
- submerses
- moistens
- dives
- thrusts
- drenches
2
as in scoops
to lift out with something that holds liquid carefully dipped water from the bucket to the kettle Synonyms & Similar Words
- scoops
- spoons
- buckets
- drains
- empties
- pumps
- ladles
- dishes
- lades
- bails
- eliminates
- exhausts
- slops
- draws
- depletes
- bleeds
- siphons
- suctions
- syphons
- decants
- draws (off)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pours
- fills
3
as in plunges
to go to a lower level especially abruptly the temperature dipped a bit in the evening Synonyms & Similar Words
- plunges
- tumbles
- falls
- declines
- drops
- plummets
- skids
- sinks
- descends
- dives
- decreases
- crashes
- lowers
- craters
- nose-dives
- retreats
- droops
- diminishes
- subsides
- ebbs
- wanes
- tapers off
- dwindles
- moderates
- abates
- recedes
- lessens
- dies (down)
- de-escalates
- lets up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rises
- lifts
- spikes
- ups
- ascends
- soars
- arises
- mounts
- increases
- grows
- builds
- swells
- expands
- accumulates
- mushrooms
- intensifies
- waxes
- escalates
- enlarges
- picks up
- snowballs
- bourgeons
- balloons
- burgeons
4
as in falls
to lead or extend downward slow down, the road dips here Synonyms & Similar Words
- plunges
- falls
- descends
- drops
- sinks
- slopes
- declines
- tilts
- leans
- angles
- inclines
- tips
- heels
- slants
- lists
- cocks
- reclines
- cants
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rises
- climbs
- ascends
- mounts
- upturns
- arises
- levels
- smoothes
- smooths
- straightens
- uprises
- planes
- upsweeps
- evens
- flattens
5
as in peeks
to take a quick or hasty look I dipped into the book, but I didn't have a chance to study it thoroughly Synonyms & Similar Words
- peeks
- glances
- glimpses
- glints
- skims
- browses
- scans
- squints
- rakes
- peeps
- peruses
- keeks
- blinks
- looks over
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- stares
- gazes
- surveys
- examines
- overlooks
- oversees
- questions
- pries
- studies
- views
- peers
- goggles
- leers
- rubbernecks
- gawks
- ogles
dips
2 of 3noun (1)
1
as in declines
a downward slope marathoners have one last dip before the race course levels off and the finish line comes into view Synonyms & Similar Words
- falls
- declines
- downhills
- descents
- hangs
- downgrades
- depressions
- hangings
- declivities
- basins
- hollows
- declensions
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rises
- upgrades
- hills
- ascents
- inclines
- gradients
- tilts
- rakes
- pitches
- acclivities
- uprises
- leans
- grades
- uphills
- inclinations
- glacis
2
as in drops
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude the city's population has taken a slight dip since the last census Synonyms & Similar Words
- drops
- falls
- plunges
- declines
- dives
- descents
- downs
- nosedives
- downgrades
- comedowns
- downfalls
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- climbs
- rises
- upturns
- upswings
- risings
- advances
- ascents
- progresses
- progressions
- improvements
- soarings
- headways
- betterments
dips
3 of 3noun (2)
as in idiots
a stupid person how did that dip get through medical school? Synonyms & Similar Words
- idiots
- morons
- stocks
- dummies
- losers
- stupids
- noodles
- dumbbells
- geese
- clunks
- jerks
- sapheads
- lumps
- clucks
- naturals
- fools
- hammerheads
- donkeys
- turkeys
- cuddies
- mutts
- dumb clucks
- stupes
- deadheads
- nuts
- goofs
- lunatics
- thickheads
- dopes
- schnooks
- dim bulbs
- dumbheads
- dufuses
- momes
- noddies
- hardheads
- prats
- bubbleheads
- pinheads
- loggerheads
- goons
- meatheads
- fatheads
- airheads
- clowns
- ganders
- imbeciles
- woodenheads
- chowderheads
- boneheads
- lunkheads
- loons
- golems
- dunces
- clots
- dolts
- numskulls
- knuckleheads
- clodpoles
- blockheads
- dodoes
- dullards
- dunderheads
- ignoramuses
- ninnyhammers
- yahoos
- clodpolls
- schlubs
- chuckleheads
- dum-dums
- nincompoops
- snakes
- dimwits
- ninnies
- yo-yos
- jackasses
- nits
- doofuses
- cretins
- dummkopfs
- dorks
- villains
- nimrods
- shlubs
- simpletons
- oafs
- mugs
- ignorami
- birdbrains
- creeps
- boobies
- ratbags
- skunk
- nitwits
- heels
- skunks
- numbskulls
- lamebrains
- dodos
- gawks
- madmen
- buffoons
- know-nothings
- zanies
- loonies
- half-wits
- stinkers
- beasts
- scatterbrains
- featherbrains
- churls
- boors
- curs
- cads
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- brains
- genii
- whizzes
- geniuses
- intellectuals
- thinkers
- intellects
- sages
- wizards
- sharpies
- polymaths
- Renaissance men
- subject-predicate
- subject-superject
- subject/object of ridicule
- subjectable
- subjected
- subjected to
- subjecter
- subjectest
- subjecthood
- subjectification
- subjectified
- subjectifies
- subjectify
- subjectifying
- subjecting
- subjecting to
- subjection
- subjectional
- subjections
- subjective
- subjective complement
- subjective idealism
- subjective theory
- subjective time
- subjective utility