1 A2 idiomatic informal
To begin eating food enthusiastically; used especially as an invitation to start a meal.
"The food's getting cold — everyone dig in!"
dig in
B1 informal intransitive
To start eating enthusiastically; to establish a defensive position; or to resist firmly.
In plain English
Start eating, or stay in one place and refuse to move or give up.
What does "dig in" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
Of soldiers: to dig defensive positions in the ground and entrench oneself against attack.
"The troops dug in along the ridge and prepared to hold their position."
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To refuse to change one's opinion or position; to become more determined in the face of opposition.
"Management dug in and refused to consider the workers' demands."
4 B1 idiomatic informal
To apply oneself seriously to a task or period of hard work.
"There's a lot to get done before Friday, so let's dig in."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To dig a hole and get inside it (military origin).
Actually means
Start eating, or stay in one place and refuse to move or give up.
Usage tip
The 'start eating' sense is a very common, friendly invitation. The military sense ('dig in' = entrench) is literal and historical. The figurative sense of refusing to budge is common in negotiations and politics. Always intransitive.
Words that pair with "dig in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
troops heels position dinner food trenches
How to conjugate "dig in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dig in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
digs in
he/she/it
Past simple
diged in
yesterday
Past participle
diged in
have + pp
-ing form
diging in
continuous
Hear "dig in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dig in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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