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Glite Dictionary
to take the plunge

to take the plunge

18 5.5
Decide to do something difficult or risky after thinking about it for a long time
  • phrasal verb
  • /teɪk ðə plʌndʒ/
translation icon : decidirse a
  • After months of thinking it over, I decided to take the plunge and start my own business.
  • decided to take the plunge
  • ready to take the plunge
  • finally took the plunge

And yeah, so, so we're taking the plunge.

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Examples

  • I have been lurking for a few weeks and finally decided to take the plunge and register.

    Blog text (2)

  • Have you been hesitating to take the plunge because of financial constraints?

    Blog text (2)

  • How do you build self trust to let yourself take the plunge and create a new beginning?

  • You ready to take the plunge with me again?

    Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017)

  • So why not take the plunge and have it over?

    The House of Mirth (2000)

  • Will you take the plunge with me?

    Oscar and Lucinda (1997)

  • It's great seeing people take the plunge and follow what truly makes them happy.

    Blog text (20)

  • I feel as though I'm ready to take the plunge.

    The Invisible Woman (1940)

  • You've decided to leave your jobs and take the plunge into the world of the self-employed.

    Blog text (6)

  • In March of this year, I took the plunge and Yarn Blossom Boutique came into existence.

    Blog text (22)

Synonyms

to dare
vsto take the plunge
516 1.1

To be brave enough to do something risky or not allowed

decides after long thought rather than acting from courage alone
to go out on a limb
vsto take the plunge
  • Informal
37 6.1

To risk doing or saying something to support an idea

decides after long thought rather than risking public support
to take a leap
vsto take the plunge
11 5.7

Make a brave decision even when it feels risky

decides after long thought rather than acting quickly
to swing for the fences
vsto take the plunge
  • Informal
5 7.3

Try something risky to get a big reward

chooses a risky course after careful long thought instead of gambling
to venture forth
vsto take the plunge
3 6.2

To go somewhere or do something even when it is risky

weighs choices for a long time before acting
to leap into the unknown
vsto take the plunge
  • Informal
1 7.3

To do something risky without knowing what will happen

makes a considered choice after long reflection despite unknowns
to jump into the deep end
vsto take the plunge
  • Informal
1 7.8

Start a difficult task without much preparation or experience

chooses after long thought instead of beginning unprepared

Antonyms

to avoid
∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

to hesitate
318 2.5

To pause before saying or doing something because you feel unsure

How Risky

to leap into the unknown
  • Informal
1 7.3
to take the plunge
18 5.5
to dive in
  • Informal
23 3.7

Surface Forms

take the plunge infinitive
took the plunge past
taken the plunge past participle
taking the plunge present participle
takes the plunge third person singular

Morphology

take + the + plunge

The meaning 'to decide to do something difficult or risky' is a metaphorical extension of the literal 'plunge' (to immerse or enter energetically), so a learner who knows 'take' and 'plunge' can plausibly infer a sense of committing to an action. However, the shift from physical immersion to decisional risk is idiomatic and requires a metaphorical mapping (despite similar water-diving metaphors in many languages), making the expression only partially predictable.

Etymology

The idiom take the plunge comes from the picture of someone jumping into deep water when they are nervous or unsure. That's why it now means 'to decide to do something difficult or risky'.