Meaning & use
taking the plunge
Last updated
“taking the plunge” is a form of “take the plunge”.
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
Making a bold decision to do something risky or important after hesitating for some time.
Grammar: Fixed with the plunge: taking the plunge.
Patterns
- take the plunge
- finally take the plunge
After years of renting, they took the plunge and bought a house.
I took the plunge and quit my job to travel.
She is thinking of taking the plunge and opening a cafe.
phraseidiominformalhumorous
Getting married, especially after a long wait.
Grammar: Informal and often humorous: they took the plunge in June.
Patterns
- take the plunge with someone
After ten years together, they finally took the plunge.
My brother is taking the plunge next summer.
Are you two planning on taking the plunge?
phraseidiom
Jumping into water, literally, especially cold water.
Grammar: Literal and less common than the figurative use.
Patterns
- take the plunge into something
She took the plunge into the icy lake.
We took the plunge from the pier at dawn.
He took the plunge and swam across.
Word forms
| base form | take the plunge |
|---|---|
| third person singular | takes the plunge |
| past tense | took the plunge |
| -ing form | taking the plunge |
Common combinations
- finally take the plunge
- We finally took the plunge and adopted a dog.
- take the plunge and buy
- She took the plunge and bought the studio.
- ready to take the plunge
- Are you ready to take the plunge?
- thinking of taking the plunge
- I'm thinking of taking the plunge and moving.
Synonyms and how they differ
- going for it
- Going for it is more casual and focused on trying, with less sense of long hesitation.
- committing
- Committing is plainer and formal, lacking the sense of daring that the plunge suggests.
- diving in
- Diving in suggests starting eagerly without thinking, while taking the plunge follows a period of doubt.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: taking the plunge or plunge pool?
taking the plunge vs plunge pool
A plunge pool is a small pool for cooling off, unrelated to the idiom.
Practice
After years of saving, Maria finally ___ and opened her own bakery.
Choose one answer.
Take the plunge is the idiom for committing to a big step. The other options are not set expressions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “taking the plunge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.