1 A2 neutral
To excavate further into the ground.
"We need to dig down another foot before we hit the water pipe."
dig down
B2 neutral intransitive
To dig deeper into the ground, or to apply greater effort and determination to find inner reserves of strength or money.
In plain English
To dig deeper into the ground, or to try harder and push yourself further than you thought you could.
What does "dig down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To push oneself to find inner reserves of determination, effort, or money.
"In the final kilometre of the race, she had to really dig down to keep going."
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To spend more money than you initially intended, especially to cover unexpected costs.
"Fans will have to dig down deeper this year as ticket prices have risen again."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a digging tool in a downward direction.
Actually means
To dig deeper into the ground, or to try harder and push yourself further than you thought you could.
Usage tip
Used literally in gardening and construction. Figuratively used for pushing oneself further emotionally or financially (e.g., 'dig down deep'). The phrase 'dig deep' is more common than 'dig down' in figurative use.
Words that pair with "dig down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
deep soil reserves pocket roots strength
How to conjugate "dig down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dig down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
digs down
he/she/it
Past simple
diged down
yesterday
Past participle
diged down
have + pp
-ing form
diging down
continuous
Hear "dig down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dig down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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