ditch
gb/dˈɪt͡ʃ/ us/dˈɪt͡ʃ/
A2
English
~ 6500
megszabadul, dob, felhagy, árok, kényszerleszállást hajt végre vízen, vízre tesz, leráz, lesodródik
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
to ditch [someone/something]
She ditched her old laptop and bought a new one.
Megszabadult a régi laptopjától, és vett egy újat.
He finally ditched his bad habits after the health scare.
Miután megijedt az egészsége miatt, végre felhagyott a rossz szokásaival.
Let’s ditch this meeting and talk about it over lunch instead.
The company decided to ditch the plan after the trial failed.
I felt terrible when my friends ditched me at the party.
Learner examples
I ditched my broken phone and got a new one.
Megszabadult az elromlott telefonjától, és vett egy újat.
She ditched her old shoes because they hurt her feet.
Megszabadult a régi cipőjétől, mert fájt benne a lába.
They ditched the plan when it became too expensive.
He ditched class yesterday to play video games.
Let’s ditch this game and watch a movie.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "ditch" in very formal writing, where it sounds too casual; in formal texts, "abandon" or "cancel" are usually better. They may also confuse this sense with the noun "ditch" (a hole in the ground) and try to say *"ditch someone in a ditch"* when they just mean "leave someone."
Meaning
Deliberately abandon or get rid of.
Collocations
ditch class
|ditch work
|ditch someone
|ditch the car
|ditch an idea
|ditch a plan
Synonyms
abandon (More formal and stronger; often used for serious situations, not for light, everyday choices like skipping class.)
|
dump (Informal and often used specifically for ending a romantic relationship; can sound harsher than "ditch.")
Antonyms
keep (Focuses on continuing to have or use something instead of getting rid of it.)
|
stick with (Informal; means continue with someone or something and not leave or change it.)
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|school
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To leave someone or something and not go back, because you do not want them or it anymore.
To deliberately leave, stop using, or stop being involved with someone or something, especially because you no longer want, need, or care about them or it.
NOUN
A2
2
árok
B1
Usage pattern:
a [ditch] along [a road/field]
Heavy rain filled the roadside ditch with muddy water.
A heves eső sáros vízzel töltötte meg az út menti árkot.
The car skidded on the ice and slid into a ditch.
Az autó megcsúszott a jégen, és az árokban kötött ki.
Workers dug ditches to drain the flooded fields.
A narrow ditch runs along the edge of the path.
He jumped over the ditch without slowing down.
Learner examples
There is a deep ditch next to the road.
Mély árok van az út mellett.
The children threw rocks into the ditch.
A gyerekek köveket dobáltak az árokba.
The tractor fell into a ditch during the storm.
Farmers dig ditches to move water away from fields.
A small ditch separates the two gardens.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun "ditch" with the verb "ditch" (to abandon). Also, they may use "ditch" for very large channels, where "canal" or "river" would be more natural.
Meaning
Long narrow channel in the ground.
Collocations
roadside ditch
|drainage ditch
|irrigation ditch
|deep ditch
|fall into a ditch
|dig a ditch
Synonyms
trench (Often deeper, wider, and more formal or technical; used for military or construction contexts.)
Antonyms
embankment (Refers to a raised area of earth along a road or river, the opposite shape of a sunken ditch.)
Themes
nature
|transport
|farming
|daily_life
Definition
A long, narrow cut in the ground, often next to a road or field, that holds or moves water.
A long, narrow channel dug in the ground, used to carry water away or to mark the edge of a road, field, or piece of land.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
to ditch [a plane] in [the sea/lake]
The pilot was forced to ditch the plane in the ocean after both engines failed.
A pilóta kénytelen volt kényszerleszállást végrehajtani a géppel az óceánon, miután mindkét hajtómű leállt.
All passengers survived after the aircraft ditched in the river.
Minden utas túlélte, miután a repülőgép kényszerleszállást hajtott végre a folyón.
The crew sent a mayday call before ditching in rough seas.
Learner examples
The airplane lost power and had to ditch in the sea.
A repülőgép hajtóműve leállt, ezért kényszerleszállást kellett végrehajtania a tengeren.
The pilot ditched the plane in a lake, and everyone lived.
A pilóta kényszerleszállást hajtott végre a géppel egy tavon, és mindenki túlélte.
The news said the jet ditched in the ocean after a fire.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "ditch a plane" means simply "get rid of a plane" (the general abandon sense). In aviation news, however, it specifically means an emergency landing on water.
Meaning
Make an emergency water landing.
Collocations
ditch the plane
|forced to ditch
|had to ditch in the sea
|ditch in the ocean
|pilot ditched safely
|ditch in the river
Synonyms
crash-land (General term for an emergency landing; does not specifically mean landing on water.)
Antonyms
land safely (Describes a normal, controlled landing on a runway instead of an emergency landing on water.)
Themes
transport
|aviation
|emergencies
|transportation
|travel
Definition
To land a plane on water in an emergency, because it cannot land in the normal way.
To bring an aircraft down onto water in an emergency, usually because it cannot safely reach an airport.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
4
leráz
B1
Usage pattern:
to ditch [someone]
The thieves managed to ditch the cops in the back streets.
A tolvajoknak sikerült lerázniuk a zsarukat a mellékutcákban.
He tried to ditch the reporters by leaving through a side door.
Megpróbálta lerázni az újságírókat azzal, hogy egy oldalsó ajtón távozott.
She ditched her friends at the mall and went off on her own.
The car sped up to ditch the vehicles following it.
We finally ditched our annoying tour group and explored the city alone.
Learner examples
The robbers ditched the police in a small street.
A rablók lerázták a rendőröket egy kis utcában.
He walked faster to ditch the man behind him.
Gyorsabban kezdett gyalogolni, hogy lerázza a mögötte jövő férfit.
She ditched her ex-boyfriend at the party and left with her friends.
They turned left and right many times to ditch the reporters.
I ditched my friends and went home alone.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with simply ending a relationship; here the focus is on physically getting away so the other person cannot follow. It is often used with police, reporters, or people chasing you.
Meaning
Get away from people following you.
Collocations
ditch the cops
|ditch your friends
|ditch the reporters
|manage to ditch them
|try to ditch his bodyguards
|finally ditched her ex
Synonyms
shake off (Informal; often used when someone is trying hard to follow you and you manage to lose them.)
Antonyms
stick with (Means stay together with someone instead of leaving them behind.)
Themes
movement
|crime
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move away from someone so they cannot follow you or stay with you anymore.
To escape from someone who is following you or who is with you, so that they are no longer able to find, follow, or stay with you.
VERB
B2
5
lesodródik
B2
Usage pattern:
to ditch [a vehicle]
He lost control on the ice and ditched the car in a field.
A jégen elvesztette az uralmát az autó felett, és egy mezőre sodródott vele.
The bus ditched in a roadside ditch after the driver swerved.
A busz egy út menti árokba sodródott, miután a sofőr félrerántotta a kormányt.
They nearly ditched the truck when a deer ran across the highway.
In the storm, several vehicles were ditched along the motorway.
She hit the brakes too hard and ditched the car in a shallow ditch.
Learner examples
The driver hit the ice and ditched the car.
A sofőr jégre futott, és lesodródott az útról az autóval.
In the fog, many cars were ditched on the side of the road.
A ködben sok autó lesodródott az út szélére.
He turned too fast and almost ditched the car.
The bus ditched in a ditch during the heavy rain.
They ditched the truck when a dog ran into the street.
Common mistake:
Learners may mix up this accident sense with the informal "ditch the car" meaning "leave the car and not use it anymore." In accident reports, context like ice, rain, or losing control usually shows this sense.
Meaning
Slide or crash a vehicle off-road.
Collocations
ditch the car
|car ditched in a field
|bus ditched in a ditch
|skid into a ditch
|end up in the ditch
|almost ditched the car
Synonyms
crash (More general; can mean any kind of vehicle accident, not just going off the road into a ditch.)
Antonyms
stay on the road (Describes the vehicle continuing safely on the road instead of leaving it by accident.)
Themes
transport
|accidents
|transportation
|travel
Definition
To drive or move a car or other vehicle off the road by accident, often into a ditch.
To cause a vehicle to leave the road in an uncontrolled way, often sliding or crashing into a ditch or field.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ditch
IPA
GB/dˈɪt͡ʃ/
US/dˈɪt͡ʃ/
Syllables & stress
ditch (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ditch)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ditch
- Plural: ditches
Verb
- Base: ditch
- 3rd Person Singular: ditches
- Present Participle: ditching
- Past: ditched
Word family
Forms
ditches
noun
ditching
verb
ditched
verb
Expressions
last-ditch effort
1/lˈæst dˈɪt͡ʃ ˈɛfɚt/
fixed phrase
A final attempt before failure.
A final effort you make when everything else has not worked and you are close to failing.
Examples
- In a last-ditch effort to save the company, they cut all non-essential costs.
- He made a last-ditch effort to catch the train, but the doors closed in his face.
- The team launched a last-ditch effort to score in the final seconds of the game.