digverb
uk/dɪɡ/us/dɪɡ/present participle digging, past tense and past participle dugdig verb (MOVE SOIL)
B1 [ I or T ] to break up and move soil using a tool, a machine, or your hands:
B2 [ T ] to form a hole by moving soil:
More examples
- The prisoners are made to dig holes and fill them in again.
- The ground was frozen hard and was impossible to dig.
- They dug a shallow pit and threw the bodies into it.
- We dug a hole and planted the tree.
- Workmen stumbled upon the mosaic while digging foundations for a new building.
dig verb (SEARCH)
[ I usually + adv/prep ] to search somewhere when you are looking for an object or information :
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Searching
- a needle in a haystack idiom
- beachcomber
- bounty hunter
- burrow
- cast around
- drag
- nose
- once-over
- pick
- pick through sth
- poke
- poke around
- seek
- shake
- strip search
- trail
- turn a place inside out idiom
- turn sth upside down idiom
- wanted
- wild-goose chase
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dig verb (PRESS)
to push the side of someone's body quickly with your elbow (= the middle part of the arm where it bends) often as a way of sharing a private joke with that person or to get their attention
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Pushing and shoving
- barge
- bring
- bring sb down
- bundle
- force
- frogmarch
- heave
- jostle
- nudge
- propel
- push
- push off
- push sb/sth over
- put sth out 1
- ram
- repel
- scrum
- shoulder
- shove
- wheel
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dig verb (APPROVE)
[ T ] old-fashioned slang to like or understand something:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Liking
- affection
- attached
- be a glutton for sth idiom
- be a hit with sb idiom
- be big on sth idiom
- grow
- grow on sb
- have a lot of time for sb idiom
- have a thing about sth/sb idiom
- heart
- hit
- lick your lips idiom
- liking
- smitten
- soft corner
- soft spot
- take a shine to sb idiom
- take to sb/sth
- thing
- warm
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Idiom(s)
Phrasal verb(s)
dignoun [ C ]
uk/dɪɡ/us/dɪɡ/dig noun [ C ] (REMARK)
a remark that is intended to criticize, embarrass, or make a joke about someone:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Disapproving & criticizing
- -basher
- animadversion
- aspersions
- backbite
- bad-mouth
- belabour
- damn
- damn sb with faint praise idiom
- denounce
- disapproval
- give sb hell idiom
- lashing
- pitch into sb/sth
- pound
- pound away at sth/sb
- pull sth apart
- put the boot in idiom
- take a dim view of sth idiom
- talk trash idiom
- throw
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dig noun [ C ] (REMOVE SOIL)
the process of carefully removing soil and objects from an area of historical interest:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Archaeology
- archaeological
- archaeologist
- archaeology
- archeology
- artefact
- carbon dating
- Colosseum
- excavate
- industrial archaeology
- uncover
- unearth
dig noun [ C ] (ACCOMMODATION)
informal for lodgings :
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Houses & homes
- A-frame
- almshouse
- apartment
- apartment building
- apt
- flatlet
- flophouse
- garden apartment
- garden flat
- gated community
- prefab
- public housing
- pueblo
- Quonset hut
- ranch house
- two-up two-down
- villa
- walk-up
- wigwam
- workhouse
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