1 C1 idiomatic informal
(Australian/NZ, informal) To eat something greedily or with great enthusiasm.
"The kids hoed into the birthday cake before the adults could even sit down."
inseparable
hoe into
C1 informal inseparable transitive
To begin eating or working at something with great enthusiasm, or to attack or criticize someone forcefully.
In plain English
To start eating something hungrily, to work hard at something, or to tell someone off loudly.
What does "hoe into" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Australian/NZ, informal) To start working at a task energetically.
"She hoed into the mountain of paperwork as soon as she arrived at the office."
inseparable
3 C1 idiomatic informal
(Australian/NZ, informal) To criticize or attack someone forcefully, either verbally or physically.
"The coach really hoed into the players after their poor performance."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To drive a hoe into the ground — the energy and force of the action is extended metaphorically.
Actually means
To start eating something hungrily, to work hard at something, or to tell someone off loudly.
Usage tip
Australian and New Zealand informal English. Can be used for eating ('hoe into your dinner'), working ('hoe into the project'), or verbal attack ('hoe into a colleague'). Rare outside Australasia.
Words that pair with "hoe into"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
meal food work task opponent critics
How to conjugate "hoe into"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hoe into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hoes into
he/she/it
Past simple
hoed into
yesterday
Past participle
hoed into
have + pp
-ing form
hoing into
continuous
Hear "hoe into" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hoe into" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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