Dip — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun abbreviation /ˈdip/

Meaning & Definition of Dip

Dip (verb)

  1. to plunge or immerse momentarily or partially under the surface (as of a liquid) so as to moisten, cool, or coat
  2. to thrust in a way to suggest immersion
  3. to immerse (an animal, such as a sheep or dog) in an antiseptic or parasiticidal solution

Dip (noun)

  1. an act of dipping; especially, a brief plunge into the water for sport or exercise
  2. inclination downward:
  3. pitch
  4. a stupid or unsophisticated person

Dip (abbreviation)

  1. diploma
  2. dual in-line package; dual in-line packaging

Dip (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: douse, duck, dunk, immerse, souse, sop, submerge, submerse
    related: bathe, moisten, soak, steep, wet, drench, drown, flood, dive, plunge, thrust

  2. to lift out with something that holds liquid

    "carefully dipped water from the bucket to the kettle"

    similar: bucket, lade, ladle, scoop, spoon
    related: bail, deplete, drain, eliminate, empty, exhaust, bleed, draw (off), dish, slop, decant, draw, pump, siphon, suction
    near: pour, fill

  3. to go to a lower level especially abruptly

    "the temperature dipped a bit in the evening"

    similar: crash, crater, decline, descend, dive, drop, fall, lower, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, sink, skid, tumble
    related: abate, decrease, de-escalate, die (down), diminish, droop, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, moderate, subside, taper off, wane, recede, retreat
    opposite: arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike, up
    near: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mushroom, pick up, snowball, swell, wax

  4. to lead or extend downward

    "slow down, the road dips here"

    similar: decline, descend, drop, fall, plunge, sink
    related: angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, lean, list, recline, slant, slope, tilt, tip
    opposite: arise, ascend, climb, mount, rise, uprise, upsweep, upturn
    near: even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, straighten

  5. to take a quick or hasty look

    "I dipped into the book, but I didn't have a chance to study it thoroughly"

    similar: browse, glance, glimpse, glint, peek, skim
    related: keek (chiefly Scottish), peep, blink, squint, look over, peruse, rake, scan
    opposite: gaze, stare
    near: examine, overlook, oversee, question, survey, study, view, peer, pry, gawk, goggle, rubberneck, leer, ogle

Dip (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a downward slope

    "marathoners have one last dip before the race course levels off and the finish line comes into view"

    similar: declension, decline, declivity, descent, downgrade, downhill, fall, hang, hanging
    related: basin, depression, hollow
    opposite: acclivity, ascent, rise, upgrade, uphill, uprise
    near: glacis, grade, gradient, hill, inclination, incline, lean, pitch, rake, tilt

  2. 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"

    similar: descent, dive, down, drop, fall, nosedive, plunge
    related: comedown, decline, downfall, downgrade, plummeting, sinking
    opposite: ascent, climb, rise, rising, soaring, upswing, upturn
    near: advance, headway, progress, progression, betterment, improvement

  3. a stupid person

    "how did that dip get through medical school?"

    similar: airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, bonehead, bubblehead, chowderhead, chucklehead, clodpoll, clot (British), cluck, clunk, cretin, cuddy (British dialect), 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, nimrod (slang), nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit (chiefly British), nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull, oaf, pinhead, prat (British), ratbag (chiefly Australian), saphead, schlub (slang), schnook (slang), simpleton, stock, stupe, stupid, thickhead, turkey, woodenhead, yahoo, yo-yo, dumb cluck
    related: booby, buffoon, fool, goose, loony, madman, nut, zany, loser, gawk, featherbrain, scatterbrain, beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cur, heel, jerk, skunk, snake, stinker, villain
    opposite: brain, genius
    near: intellect, intellectual, sage, thinker, whiz, wizard, polymath, Renaissance man, sharpie

Related Entry: Dip (into) (verb)

Dip (into) is a different word from Dip. The synonyms below are for dip (into), not for dip.

  1. as in turn over, speed-read

    similar: browse, leaf (through), scan, skim, speed-read, thumb (through), turn over, peruse, pore (over), read, devour, gobble (up), slog (through), wade (through), reread, proofread, decipher, review, study, apprehend, comprehend, get, grasp, make, make out, perceive, see, tumble (to), understand

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dip

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dip:

Slang: dim bulb, doofus, dork, nimrod, schlub, schnook
British: clot, prat
Chiefly British: mug, nit
British dialect: cuddy
Chiefly dialect: loggerhead
Archaic: mome
douse, duck, dunk, immerse, souse, sop, submerge, submerse, bucket, lade, ladle, scoop, spoon, crash, crater, decline, descend, dive, drop, fall, lower, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, sink, skid, tumble, browse, glance, glimpse, glint, peek, skim, declension, declivity, descent, downgrade, downhill, hang, hanging

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dip

Words with the opposite meaning of Dip:

arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike, up, climb, uprise, upsweep, upturn, gaze, stare, acclivity, ascent, upgrade, uphill, rising, soaring, upswing, brain, genius

Related Words for Dip

bathe, moisten, soak, steep, wet, drench, drown, flood, thrust, bail, deplete, drain, eliminate, empty, exhaust, bleed, draw (off), dish, slop, decant, draw, pump, siphon, suction, abate, decrease, de-escalate, die (down), diminish, droop

Near Antonyms of Dip

pour, fill, accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mushroom, pick up, snowball, swell, wax, even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, straighten, examine, overlook, oversee, question, survey, study, view

Word Forms of Dip

Inflections: dipped, dipping, dips

Derived words: dippable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Dip

Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan; akin to Old High German tupfen to wash, Lithuanian dubus deep

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Dip

Words & Phrases Containing Dip

dip net, dip switch, double-dip, French dip, lucky dip

Frequently Asked Questions about Dip

What does "Dip" mean?

"Dip" means to plunge or immerse momentarily or partially under the surface (as of a liquid) so as to moisten, cool, or coat. As an a verb, a noun and an abbreviation, it is defined as: to plunge or immerse momentarily or partially under the surface (as of a liquid) so as to moisten, cool, or coat. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dip"?

Other words for "Dip" include douse, duck, dunk, immerse, souse, sop, submerge and submerse. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dip" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dip"?

There are 213 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dip". Common alternatives include douse, duck, dunk, immerse, souse, sop, submerge, submerse, bucket and lade.

What is a slang word for "Dip"?

Slang words for "Dip" include dim bulb, doofus, dork, nimrod, schlub and schnook.

What is the opposite of "Dip"?

Antonyms of "Dip" include arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike and up. Near antonyms include pour, fill, accumulate and balloon.

How do you use "Dip" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dip" in a sentence: "first dip a paper towel in water"; "she dipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out a piece of candy"; "carefully dipped water from the bucket to the kettle".

Is "Dip" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dip" can be used as a verb, a noun and an abbreviation, depending on the context.

Is "Dip" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Dip" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.