English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun B1 Intermediate Common

diving

DEYE-vihng

Diving (noun) means the sport of jumping into water, often with acrobatic movements. Example: “She won a bronze medal in the 10-metre platform diving event.”

noun
1
The sport of jumping into water, often with acrobatic movements.
"She won a bronze medal in the 10-metre platform diving event."
2
The activity of going underwater to explore, work, or observe marine life, usually with breathing equipment.
"They went diving on the coral reef during their holiday."
3
In football and similar sports, faking a fall to try to win an undeserved foul or penalty.
"The striker was booked for diving inside the penalty area."

How to use diving

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishJumping or descending into water — as a sport, a leisure activity, or (in football slang) faking being fouled.

Common pairings
scuba diving diving board booked for diving

Word forms

divings plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “diving” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She won a bronze medal in the 10-metre platform _____ event.

Etymology

By surface analysis, dive + -ing.

Related words

Rhymes for diving

See all rhymes for diving →

Frequently asked questions

What does “diving” mean?

The word “diving” means the sport of jumping into water, often with acrobatic movements. In plain terms, jumping or descending into water — as a sport, a leisure activity, or (in football slang) faking being fouled.

How do you pronounce “diving”?

“Diving” is pronounced DEYE-vihng (/ˈdaɪ.vɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “diving” in a sentence?

Here is “diving” used in a sentence: “She won a bronze medal in the 10-metre platform diving event.”

What part of speech is “diving”?

“Diving” is a noun.

Is “diving” a common word?

“Diving” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “diving” have?

“Diving” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the sport of jumping into water, often with acrobatic movements.

What is the difference between diving and snorkeling?

Snorkeling is swimming at the surface while breathing through a tube, whereas diving involves going fully underwater to explore, work, or observe marine life, usually with breathing equipment. Scuba diving lets you stay down far longer and deeper than snorkeling allows.

What is the difference between scuba diving and freediving?

Scuba diving uses breathing equipment that lets the diver stay underwater for extended periods, while freediving is done on a single held breath with no breathing apparatus. Both are forms of diving in the sense of going underwater to explore or observe marine life.

What are the main types of diving as a sport?

As a sport, diving means jumping into water, often with acrobatic movements such as somersaults and twists. Competitive diving is divided into springboard and platform events, and divers may compete individually or in synchronized pairs.

People also searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial · etymology from Wiktionary