Dictionary

dig in en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (colloquial) To begin eating.
   • I wanted to say grace before dinner, but the kids were already digging in.
2. (colloquial) To engage in a burst of hard work.
   • Mancini's men were far from their best but dug in to earn a 10th win in 11 league games and an eighth successive victory in all competitions to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table. 2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2 - 3 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
   • I've got to dig in for a couple of weeks to secure my promotion.
3. (also, figuratively, in sports) To dig trenches to resist an enemy attack.
   • If Russia choses to dig in, then the military balance – which typically favours the defender on a 3-1 ratio – is reversed. 2022 April 4, Dan Sabbagh, “Routing of Russian forces from Kyiv area will be hard to repeat in eastern Ukraine”, in The Guardian:
4. (idiomatic) To adopt a resolute state of mind.
   • to dig in one's feet, heels, etc.
5. To cover over by digging.

Forms

Deriveds

dig in one's heels

Relateds

dig into

Synonyms

go for it · fall to · fall to · tuck in · chow down

Translations (24)

sh ukopávati (dig trenches) · sh укопа́вати (dig trenches) · cs zakopat se (dig trenches) · pl okopać się (dig trenches) · be акапвацца (dig trenches) · th กินเลย (begin eating) · pl zabrać się za jedzenie (begin eating) · de reinhauen (begin eating) · ru окапываться (dig trenches) · fi käydä kiinni (begin eating) · sh ukòpati (dig trenches) · fi kaivautua asemiin (dig trenches) · gl atrincheirarse (dig trenches) · sh уко̀пати (dig trenches) · de sich eingraben (dig trenches) · es ponerse a yantar (begin eating) · es atrincherarse (dig trenches) · pl okopywać się (dig trenches) · fi alkaa syödä (begin eating) · pl zabierać się za jedzenie (begin eating) · ru окопаться (dig trenches) · ru налететь (begin eating) · be акапацца (dig trenches) · sv hugga in (begin eating)