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Glite Dictionary
nose dive

nose dive

1 5.3
A sudden steep fall that often happens to a plane with its front pointing down or to prices
  • noun
  • /noʊz daɪv/
translation icon : picada
  • We we straight up did a did a full on nose dive into the ground.
  • took a nose dive
  • stock took a nose dive
  • sudden nose dive

We we straight up did a did a full on nose dive into the ground.

Examples

  • At least that's what I thought my pilot asked before he aimed the glider downward for a 100-mph nose dive.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Twenty seconds later, the plane turns into a fucking nose dive... we plunge three thousand feet straight down, shit flying all over the place...

    The TV Set (2007)

  • Then your lymphocyte cell count takes a nose dive.

    Mile 22 (2018)

  • The captain then jumps up, hitting the controls and sending the plane into a nose-dive.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • If I'm bad as they say in this picture as I am I'm gonna do the sensational nose dive of the century.

    Something to Sing About (1937)

  • They discuss A-Rod's mega-slump and whether his career is taking a quick nose-dive.

    Blog text (33)

  • If the plane isn't taking any sudden nose dives or turns, the passengers are blissfully ignorant that their precious time on earth is coming to an end.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • During the flight, the pilot unexpectedly put the aircraft into a nose dive, causing alarm among the passengers.

  • The fighter jet performed a dramatic nose dive during the air show, thrilling the spectators below.

  • When the drone lost power, it went into a rapid nose dive and crashed into the field.

Synonyms

dive
vsnose dive
  • Specialized
26 6.5

A steep nose-down descent by an aircraft during a maneuver

is usually an uncontrolled plunge rather than a planned maneuver
nosedive
vsnose dive
4 5.6

A sudden steep fall of a plane with its front pointing down

is written as two words while keeping the same meaning
crash dive
vsnose dive
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A very fast, steep descent by a submarine or plane to avoid danger

is a steep plunge not necessarily performed to escape danger

Antonyms

to rise
718 1.0

To move upward into the air, like smoke or mist

to ascend
54 4.0

To move upward to a higher place, for example up a hill or into the sky

How Steep

nose dive
1 5.3
plunge
20 4.0
drop
45 1.0
to dip
47 2.5

Surface Forms

nose dive singular
nose dives plural

Morphology

nose + dive

The meaning 'steep downward plunge with the nose pointing down' is directly compositional from 'nose' (the forward projecting end of a vehicle) + 'dive' (a steep descent). This compound simply specifies the kind of dive by its orientation, a common descriptive pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents should readily understand.

Etymology

Nose dive comes from the image of an airplane pointing its nose straight down and making a fast dive. That's why we use it for something that suddenly 'falls quickly', like stock prices or ratings.