ditch
/dɪtʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪtʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdich/ (ame, mw)
ditch — noun
- ditchsingular
- ditchesplural
1. A long, narrow channel cut into the earth, often running alongside a road or the
A long, narrow channel cut into the earth, often running alongside a road or the edge of a field, which carries rainwater away or marks a boundary between properties.
The car slid off the muddy road and landed in a ditch.
Farmers dug a ditch along the edge of the field to drain the rainwater.
ditch + verb phrase for drainage purpose
Mira's ball rolled into the ditch, so Hao climbed down to get it.
Water from the ditch ran through a pipe under the road into a small stream.
ditch — verb
- ditchpresent simple I / you / we / they
- ditches3rd person singular
- ditching-ing form
- ditchedpast simple
1. To leave behind or stop using a person, object, or activity because you no longe
To leave behind or stop using a person, object, or activity because you no longer need or want them — for example, ditching a bad habit, an old phone, or a friend who let you down.
Constanza decided to ditch her old phone after the screen cracked.
ditch + object (thing you no longer want)
Reema ditched her Saturday art class to go to the beach with friends.
ditch + activity (skip on purpose)
Asher felt bad when he ditched his friends at the party to go home early.
The team ditched their original plan when a cheaper option came up.
Zola ditched the heavy backpack and ran toward the bus stop.
- abandon
More formal than 'ditch'; suggests leaving something permanently and often in a serious or dramatic way
- dump
Similar informality level; often implies getting rid of something abruptly or carelessly
- discard
More formal; usually refers to objects rather than people
- leave
Neutral and broad; does not carry the casual or dismissive tone of 'ditch'
文法句型
ditch + noun phrase (person / thing / activity)
用法筆記
Common in informal spoken and written English. The object can be a person (to ditch a date), an activity (to ditch a meeting), or an object (to ditch a broken device).
常見錯誤
2. To bring an aircraft down onto a body of water such as a lake, river, or sea as
To bring an aircraft down onto a body of water such as a lake, river, or sea as an emergency procedure when the vehicle cannot continue flying safely.
The pilot had to ditch the plane in the lake after both engines failed.
ditch + aircraft + in + body of water
Eric trained for years on how to ditch a helicopter over open water.
All passengers survived after the aircraft was ditched safely in the bay.
The captain ditched the jet at sea when the fuel ran out.
- crash-land
Can refer to landing on land or water; 'ditch' is only used for water landings
- splash down
Often used for spacecraft returning to Earth; more technical and less common in general speech
文法句型
ditch + aircraft (plane / helicopter / jet) + in / on + body of water
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the passive voice ('the plane was ditched'). Subject is nearly always a pilot or someone controlling the aircraft. Not used for boats or vehicles on land.
常見錯誤
3. To create a long, narrow trench in the soil, usually to carry water away from a
To create a long, narrow trench in the soil, usually to carry water away from a wet area or to separate one piece of land from another.
Minho spent the afternoon ditching the garden to stop rainwater from pooling.
ditch + location for drainage purpose
Workers ditched the roadside to lay new pipes for the village water supply.
Indra used a shovel to ditch around the tent so rain would flow away.
Before planting rice, the farmer ditched the field in straight parallel lines.
- fill
To put earth back into a hole or ditch, closing it up
文法句型
ditch + noun phrase (ground / field / roadside)
用法筆記
Less common than the noun form 'ditch'. Often appears in farming, construction, and camping contexts. When referring to the action of digging, 'dig a ditch' is more common than the verb 'to ditch'.