noun
Common
digging
DIH-gihng
Digging (noun) means the act of making holes or excavating earth. Example: “The digging in the garden left her back aching.”
noun
1
The act of making holes or excavating earth.
"The digging in the garden left her back aching."
"All that digging made the children very muddy."
"The digging for the new foundation took all week."
2
(informal, usually plural) Lodgings; a place where one lives.
"He invited us back to his diggings for coffee."
How to use digging
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe activity of digging, or (old-fashioned/informal) a person’s lodgings.
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Word forms
- Plural
- diggings
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The _____ in the garden left her back aching.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for digging
See all rhymes for digging →Frequently asked questions
What does “digging” mean?
The word “digging” means the act of making holes or excavating earth. In plain terms, the activity of digging, or (old-fashioned/informal) a person’s lodgings.
How do you pronounce “digging”?
“Digging” is pronounced DIH-gihng (/ˈdɪɡɪŋ(ɡ)/ in IPA).
How do you use “digging” in a sentence?
Here is “digging” used in a sentence: “The digging for the new foundation took all week.”
What part of speech is “digging”?
“Digging” is a noun.
Is “digging” a common word?
“Digging” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “digging” have?
“Digging” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of making holes or excavating earth.
Why does digging have a double g?
Because of the standard spelling rule for short verbs: when a one-syllable verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, as "dig" does, the final consonant doubles before -ing to keep the vowel short. Without the doubling, "diging" would look as if it had a long vowel, like "hiking."
What is the difference between digging and excavation?
They describe the same activity at different registers. "Digging" is the everyday word for making holes or turning over earth, while "excavation" is the formal or technical term used in construction and archaeology, where it implies careful, systematic work.
How is digging connected to "digs" meaning lodgings?
The informal word "digs," meaning rented rooms or lodgings, is a shortening of "diggings," an older informal term for the place where one lives. So "moving into new digs" traces back to this plural sense of digging rather than to holes in the ground.
Does "digging it" have anything to do with digging holes?
Not in meaning. In "I'm really digging this song," digging is the informal slang verb dig, meaning to like or enjoy something. It is casual in register and entirely separate from the literal sense of excavating earth.
