What does ditching mean?
Ditching is the act of abandoning, discarding, or getting rid of someone or something, often suddenly and without ceremony. It derives from the noun 'ditch', which originally referred to a long narrow channel dug into the earth, and by extension came to mean throwing something away as one might toss it into a ditch. Today it carries a distinctly informal register, applied freely to relationships, plans, jobs, and habits — as in 'ditching the plan' or 'ditching a friend'. A specialised sense persists in aviation, where 'ditching' denotes the deliberate emergency landing of an aircraft on water, a usage that is technical rather than colloquial. The word also retains its literal sense of digging or clearing ditches, though this is now largely confined to agricultural and civil-engineering contexts. Its flexibility across registers makes it useful in everyday speech while remaining precise enough for professional use.
The act of abandoning, discarding, or getting rid of someone or something; alternatively, an emergency landing of an aircraft on water.
"His constant ditching of responsibilities eventually cost him the promotion."
Informal in everyday use; technical in the aviation sense.
Present participle of 'ditch': to abandon, discard, or get rid of; to make an emergency landing on water.
"They were ditching their old marketing strategy in favour of social media."
From medieval moats to modern breakups — the same old English root that gave us 'dike' now gets you out of plans and planes alike.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ditching
Ditching derives from the Middle English verb 'dichen' and noun 'dich', which trace back to Old English 'dīc' meaning a channel or earthwork. This Old English root is cognate with the modern word 'dike' (also spelled 'dyke'), reflecting a shared Germanic origin relating to excavation and embankment. The figurative sense of discarding or abandoning developed later through the image of casting something unwanted into a ditch.
Related word forms
How ditching is actually used
Highly informal and colloquial when used to mean abandoning a person, plan, or obligation. In aviation, 'ditching' is neutral technical terminology for an emergency water landing.
Easily confused with ditching
'Digging' means excavating generally, while 'ditching' specifically refers to abandoning something or to digging ditches in particular.
'Dishing' means serving food or gossiping, whereas 'ditching' means discarding or abandoning.