ditch

1 of 2

noun

ˈdich 

: a long narrow excavation dug in the earth (as for drainage)

ditch

2 of 2

verb

ditched; ditching; ditches

transitive verb

1

a

: to surround with a long narrow cavity in the earth : to enclose with a ditch (see ditch entry 1)

The pasture was hedged and ditched.

b

: to dig a ditch in

2

aviation : to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water

successfully ditched the plane

3

a

: to get rid of : discard

ditch an old car

had to ditch their plan

b

: to end association with : leave

ditched school

His girlfriend ditched him.

intransitive verb

1

: to dig a ditch

2

aviation : to crash-land at sea

Synonyms

Noun

• trench
• gutter
• ravine

Verb

• dump
• leave

Examples of ditch in a Sentence

Noun

He drove the car into the ditch.

after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch

Verb

The thief ditched the purse in an alley.

They ditched the car in a vacant lot.

They ditched me at the concert.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her body was found there in a nearby ditch the next morning. —Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025

In a 2024 incident, both vehicles involved in a pursuit in North Dakota lost control and landed in a ditch after a deputy deployed the Grappler. —Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2025

Verb

The move reflects broader shifts in media, as more consumers ditch cable in favor of streaming. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2025

Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of UFC parent company TKO Holdings, says UFC has wanted to ditch the PPV model since the beginning of negotiations with potential partners in February. —Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English dich, from Old English dīc dike, ditch; akin to Middle High German tīch pond, dike

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing ditch

• last ditch

Rhymes for ditch

• bitch
• fiche
• glitch
• hitch
• ich
• itch
• kitsch
• lich
• mitch
• niche
• pitch
• snitch

Kids Definition

ditch

1 of 2 noun

ˈdich 

: a long narrow channel or trench dug in the earth

ditch

2 of 2 verb

1

: to dig a ditch in or around

2

a

: to get rid of : discard

ditch an old car

b

: to end association with : leave

his girlfriend ditched him

3

: to make a forced landing of (an airplane) on water