Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
💸 To use a little 📖 To read parts
to dip into

to dip into

1 5.1
Read parts of a book or magazine rather than all of it
  • phrasal verb
  • /dɪp ˈɪntu/
translation icon : hojear
  • There are some programming books that I've read from cover to cover repeatedly; there are others that I have dipped into many times, reading a chapter or so at a time.

Examples

  • Whenever I'm at a loss, I, uh, dip into Rilke.

    Igby Goes Down (2002)

  • I would, I think it's extremely readable and it's well worth doing and you can dip into a lot of different chapters.

  • There is a range of other blogs that I dip into from time to time.

    Blog text (9)

  • A book you can dip into in the waiting room for entertainment, follow only one dog's story from beginning to end, or read cover to cover.

    Blog text (16)

  • I follow a number of other leaders on Twitter, and this enables me to dip into their blogs.

    Blog text (9)

  • I dipped into it during our Oregon trip, meaning to skim a bit.

    Blog text (5)

  • I usually dip into the freshly pressed blogs to see what our community is up to, and I did read and like 'There is a light that never goes out.'

    Blog text (31)

  • He first dipped into The Wings of the Dove and was captivated by the opening lines of the novel.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Doron hadn't learned much about Islam in his few short days in the library, but he had dipped into a few handbooks in Hebrew and English.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • When I have a few minutes, I like to dip into the latest fashion magazine for inspiration.

Synonyms

to leaf
vsto dip into
17 6.5

To turn pages quickly without reading everything

opens only selected passages to read rather than flipping through pages
browse
vsto dip into
1 4.1

A quick, casual look through books, magazines, or websites

selects particular passages deliberately instead of reading without a plan
to skim
vsto dip into
1 2.7

Read something quickly without looking at details

selects specific parts to read more carefully instead of reading everything fast
to skim over
vsto dip into
1 3.8

To read quickly without looking at details

picks certain passages to read rather than examining entire text superficially
skimming
vsto dip into
1 2.9

Read through writing quickly to get the main idea

chooses only some passages to read rather than scanning for gist

Antonyms

to read from cover to cover
1 3.4

To read every page of a book or magazine from start to finish

How Much

to study
∞ 1.0
to dip into
1 5.1
to skim
1 2.7

Surface Forms

dip into infinitive
dipped into past
dipped into past participle
dipping into present participle
dips into third person singular

Morphology

dip + into

The sense 'to use or take a small part of something' is partly derivable from 'dip' (take a small amount) combined with 'into' (movement into something), so the basic image is accessible. However, the metaphorical extension to abstract targets (e.g., savings, time) and the phrasal-verb usage make the exact meaning and register less predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Dip into comes from the image of quickly dipping a spoon into a jar to take a small taste. So, like that small taste, the phrase means 'to read only certain parts' of a book or article.