nosedive

noun

nose·​dive ˈnōz-ˌdīv 

1

: a downward nose-first plunge of a flying object (such as an airplane)

2

: a sudden extreme drop

stock prices took a nosedive

nose-dive intransitive verb

Synonyms

• descent
• dip
• dive
• down
• drop
• fall
• plunge

Examples of nosedive in a Sentence

The plane went into a nosedive.

The stock market took a nosedive.

Recent Examples on the Web

After a one-two punch from nasty hurricanes, Irma in 2017 and Ian in 2022, the Florida population of the mollusk took a nosedive. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024

The report comes days after a packed 787 Dreamliner took a nosedive during a trip from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024

That isn’t a problem for players, but attendance typically takes a nosedive from an average attendance of 4,500 a game to about 1,000, Mandell said. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2024

But right around the Oppenheimer-is-long jibe, things took a sharp nosedive. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nosedive

1 of 2 noun

nose·​dive ˈnōz-ˌdīv 

1

: a downward nose-first plunge (as of an airplane)

2

: a sudden extreme drop (as in prices)

nose-dive

2 of 2 verb

nose-dived; nose-diving

: to plunge suddenly or sharply