dip

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   To put something into a liquid or soft substance for a moment and take it out again.

   Grammar: Takes an object (dip a brush in paint) or can be intransitive with into: she dipped into the water.

   Patterns

   • dip something in something
   • dip something into something

   She dipped a cookie in her tea.

   He dipped his toes into the cold lake.

   Dip the brush in the paint and tap off the extra.

2. 2verbintransitive

   To go down a little in level, amount, or position, often only for a short time.

   Grammar: No object; often followed by below or to: sales dipped below expectations.

   Patterns

   • dip below something
   • dip to something

   Temperatures dipped below freezing overnight.

   The road dips before rising toward the village.

   Profits dipped slightly last quarter.

3. 3nouncountable

   A small, short-lived decrease in amount, level, or quality.

   Grammar: Usually singular with a: a dip in sales.

   Patterns

   • a dip in something

   There was a small dip in sales after the holidays.

   The team suffered a dip in form in March.

   Prices saw a brief dip before recovering.

4. 4nouncountable or uncountable

   A thick soft sauce or spread into which pieces of food are dipped before eating.

   Grammar: Countable for a type (a spicy dip) and uncountable for the food in general.

   Patterns

   • a dip for something

   She served carrots with a garlic dip.

   The party table had chips and three kinds of dip.

   I made a creamy bean dip for the picnic.

5. 5nouncountableinformal

   A short swim or bath, or a place where the ground slopes down briefly.

   Grammar: Usually takes a: have a dip in the sea, or a dip in the road.

   Patterns

   • have a dip
   • take a dip

   We took a quick dip in the pool before breakfast.

   The car bounced over a dip in the road.

   Let's go for a dip in the lake.

Word forms

Common combinations

dip below

The temperature may dip below zero tonight.

take a dip

They took a dip in the ocean at sunrise.

dip in sales

The shop saw a dip in sales during the storm.

dip into your savings

They had to dip into their savings to fix the roof.

dip sauce

Chips taste better with a good dip sauce.

dip a toe in

She dipped a toe in the water to test it.

Synonyms and how they differ

plunge

Plunge suggests a deep or sudden entry or fall, while dip is shallow and brief.

drop

Drop for a decrease can be large or permanent, but dip implies a small, often temporary fall.

immerse

Immerse means to cover something completely and is more formal, whereas dip only partly or briefly wets it.

decline

Decline suggests a steady, longer fall, while dip usually describes a small slip that may recover.

Opposites

Word family

dipper noun

a ladle or a small diving bird

dipping adjective

used in dipping sauce, meaning meant for dipping

dipstick noun

a rod used to measure the level of a liquid such as engine oil

Commonly confused: dip or dive? dip or drip?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dip”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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