Plunge — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈplənj/

Meaning & Definition of Plunge

Plunge (verb)

  1. to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly into something
  2. to cause to enter a state or course of action usually suddenly, unexpectedly, or violently
  3. to thrust or cast oneself into or as if into water

Plunge (noun)

  1. an act or instance of plunging, dive; also, swim

Plunge (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cast oneself head first into deep water

    "she took a deep breath and plunged from the side of the pool"

    similar: dive, pitch, sound
    related: dip, immerse, submerge, belly flop, plump, plunk
    near: surface

  2. to go to a lower level especially abruptly

    "prices for those televisions have really plunged since they were first introduced"

    similar: crash, crater, decline, descend, dip, dive, drop, fall, lower, nose-dive, plummet, 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

  3. to lead or extend downward

    "a stairway plunging into darkness"

    similar: decline, descend, dip, drop, fall, 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

Plunge (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an act or instance of diving

    "the Olympic diver took a well-executed plunge off the diving board"

    similar: dive, pitch
    related: dip, immersion, submersion, fall, plump, slip, spill, stumble, tumble, descent, drop, belly flop, header, jackknife, swan dive
    near: jump, leap

  2. the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude

    "an overnight plunge in temperature sent the thermometer to below the freezing mark"

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

Related Entry: Plunge (in) (verb)

Plunge (in) is a different word from Plunge. The synonyms below are for plunge (in), not for plunge.

  1. as in fall (to), pitch in

    similar: fall (to), pitch in, settle (down), buckle (down to), concentrate (on), focus (on), knuckle down (to), zero (in on), pursue, take up, undertake, address, approach, face, attack, dive (into), tackle, wade (in or into)
    opposite: avoid, evade, shun, dally, dawdle, dillydally, fiddle (around), fool, idle, lag, mess, monkey (around), play, poke, potter (around), putter (around), trifle

Related Entry: Take (verb)

Take is a different word from Plunge. The synonyms below are for take, not for plunge.

  1. to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

    "take my hand, or we'll get separated in this crowd"

    similar: clasp, grasp, grip, hold, hang on to, lay hold of
    related: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold on (to), catch, nab, seize, snatch
    near: discharge, drop, free, liberate, release, deliver, entrust, give, hand, hand over, pass, relinquish, transfer, transmit, turn over, unhand

  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

    "will you take that call?"

    "took a cut in pay"

    similar: accept, have
    related: accede (to), assent (to), concede (to), confirm, consent (to), OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, acquiesce (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to), abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, shoulder, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, swallow, sweat out, tolerate, adopt, embrace, welcome
    opposite: decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down, veto
    near: dissent (to), object (to), oppose, protest, hold off, resist, withstand, combat, contest, fight

  3. to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

    "if you don't cover your head in this weather, you'll take cold and be stuck inside all weekend"

    similar: catch, come down (with), contract, get, go down (with) (chiefly British), sicken (with)
    related: break out (with), die (from), succumb (to), fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen
    near: come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

  4. to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

    "you can take the white side this time, since I got to be white for our last chess game"

    similar: cherry-pick, choose, cull, elect, handpick, name, opt (for), pick, prefer, select, single (out), tag
    related: preselect, appoint, designate, fix, mark, nominate, set, tab, tap, accept, adopt, embrace, espouse, settle (on or upon)
    opposite: decline, refuse, reject, turn down
    near: disapprove, negative, repudiate, spurn, discard, jettison, throw away, throw out

  5. to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

    "I'll take two cheeseburgers to go, please"

    similar: buy, cop (slang), pick up, purchase
    related: acquire, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure, win, finance, pay (for), spring (for), barter (for), deal (for), dicker (over), exchange (for), haggle (for), negotiate (about), trade (for), bargain (with), chaffer (with), horse-trade (with), palter (with), bid, offer, rebuy, repurchase
    near: deal (in), market, merchandise, retail, sell, vend

  6. to have as a requirement

    "it will take a lot of courage to stand up for what is right"

    similar: bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, require, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

  7. to make or have room for

    "I think we can take two more in this elevator"

    similar: accommodate, fit, hold
    related: carry, contain, seat, enclose, encompass, enfold, harbor, house

  8. to produce a desired effect

    "it will be a few hours before this medication takes"

    similar: act, operate, perform, work, take effect, take hold
    related: behave, react, respond, affect, influence, sway, pan out, redound, result
    near: backfire, fizzle

  9. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "I can't take anymore of your whining about your former boyfriend"

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  10. to regard as right or true

    "I think we can take his word for it"

    similar: accept, believe, buy, credit, swallow, trust, set store by
    related: account, accredit, understand, assume, presume, suppose, conclude, deduce, infer
    opposite: disbelieve, discredit, reject
    near: distrust, doubt, misdoubt, mistrust, question, suspect, challenge, dispute

  11. to achieve a victory over

    "I know we can take that team"

    similar: beat, best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

  12. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "let's take each problem separately"

    similar: address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, treat, come to grips with, have a grip on
    related: engineer, finesse, jockey, bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull, command, direct, guide, steer, control, micromanage, regulate, run, react (to), respond (to)
    near: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

  13. to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to

    "the school takes only a small percentage of the thousands of applicants"

    similar: admit, enter, receive
    related: entertain, welcome, fellowship, confirm, ratify
    opposite: ban, bar
    near: decline, disallow, disapprove, dismiss, refuse, reject, blackball, blacklist, ostracize, banish, deport, exile, expel, oust, throw out

  14. to deprive of life

    "I never thought heart disease would take such an athletic and health-conscious person"

    similar: carry off, claim, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay, do away with, do for (chiefly British), make away with
    related: bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice (slang), knock off, murder, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack (slang), annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite, assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate, euthanize, put down, suicide
    opposite: animate
    near: raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Plunge

The most common words with a similar meaning to Plunge:

dive, pitch, sound, crash, crater, decline, descend, dip, drop, fall, lower, nose-dive, plummet, sink, skid, tumble, descent, down, nosedive

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Plunge

Words with the opposite meaning of Plunge:

arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike, up, climb, uprise, upsweep, upturn, ascent, rising, soaring, upswing

Related Words for Plunge

immerse, submerge, belly flop, plump, plunk, abate, decrease, de-escalate, die (down), diminish, droop, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, moderate, subside, taper off, wane, recede, retreat, angle, cant, cock, heel, incline, lean, list, recline, slant

Near Antonyms of Plunge

surface, accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mushroom, pick up, snowball, swell, wax, even, flatten, level, plane, smooth, straighten, jump, leap, advance, headway, progress, progression, betterment, improvement

Word Forms of Plunge

Inflections: plunged, plunging

Origin & Etymology of Plunge

Middle English, from Anglo-French plunger, from Vulgar Latin *plumbicare, from Latin plumbum lead

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Plunge

Words & Phrases Containing Plunge

plunge in, plunge into darkness, plunge into, plunge to one's death, take the plunge

Frequently Asked Questions about Plunge

What does "Plunge" mean?

"Plunge" means to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly into something. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly into something. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Plunge"?

Other words for "Plunge" include dive, pitch, sound, crash, crater, decline, descend and dip. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Plunge" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Plunge"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Plunge". Common alternatives include dive, pitch, sound, crash, crater, decline, descend, dip, drop and fall.

What is the opposite of "Plunge"?

Antonyms of "Plunge" include arise, ascend, lift, mount, rise, soar, spike and up. Near antonyms include surface, accumulate, balloon and build.

How do you use "Plunge" in a sentence?

Examples of "Plunge" in a sentence: "she took a deep breath and plunged from the side of the pool"; "prices for those televisions have really plunged since they were first introduced"; "a stairway plunging into darkness".

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

"Plunge" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

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

As a C1-level word, "Plunge" 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.

How do you pronounce "Plunge"?

"Plunge" is pronounced /ˈplənj/.