Bury vs. Dig — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 9, 2024
Burying involves covering something completely under the ground, often for concealment or protection, while digging is the act of removing soil or creating a hole in the ground.
Difference Between Bury and Dig
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Burying is a specific action where objects, bodies, or substances are placed into the ground and then covered with soil, serving purposes such as concealment, preservation, or as part of cultural rituals. On the other hand, digging involves the removal of soil or earth to create a hole, trench, or cavity, and can be a preliminary step for various activities, including planting, construction, or even the act of burying itself.
The intent behind burying often relates to protection, secrecy, or adherence to traditions, such as burying treasure for safekeeping, burying the dead as part of funeral rites, or burying organic material for decomposition. Whereas, digging is driven by the need to create space, access resources, lay foundations, or prepare the ground for planting, showcasing a broader range of purposes from utility to construction.
Burying typically concludes with the surface being restored to its original state, concealing what has been placed underneath, aiming for minimal disturbance to the landscape over time. In contrast, digging, especially in construction or mining, may leave a permanent alteration in the landscape, with the extracted soil either removed from the site or used in landscaping or backfilling.
Tools used for burying and digging can overlap, such as shovels, spades, and excavators, but the choice depends on the scale and purpose of the activity. For burying, tools are selected based on the need to efficiently cover the buried object with soil, while digging tools are chosen for their ability to remove soil effectively and create spaces of desired dimensions.
While burying is often a solitary activity, focused on placing something within the earth, digging can be both an individual and collaborative effort, involving planning, measurement, and sometimes the coordination of multiple workers or machines, reflecting its broader application in construction, agriculture, and excavation.
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
To conceal or protect something by covering it with soil.
To remove soil to create a hole, trench, or cavity.
Intent
Protection, secrecy, or adherence to cultural practices.
Creation of space, access to resources, or preparation.
Outcome
Surface restored to original state, object concealed.
Permanent alteration of landscape, space created.
Tools
Shovels, spades, chosen for efficient covering.
Shovels, excavators, chosen for effective soil removal.
Process
Involves placing something in the ground and covering it.
Involves planning, measurement, and possible collaboration.
Compare with Definitions
Bury
Can be part of cultural rituals, especially funerals.
In many cultures, it is customary to bury the dead with ceremonies.
Dig
The act of removing soil to form a hole.
They began to dig a foundation for the new house.
Bury
To cover something under the ground.
They decided to bury the time capsule in the backyard.
Dig
May leave a permanent change in the landscape.
The excavation team dug deep into the hillside.
Bury
Often done for protection or secrecy.
Pirates would bury their treasure on remote islands.
Dig
Often involves planning and coordination.
The construction team met to plan how to dig the site.
Bury
Requires precise tools for covering.
They used a small spade to bury the seeds in the soil.
Dig
Can be preparatory for construction or planting.
You must dig holes before planting trees.
Bury
Aims for minimal disturbance over time.
After burying the pet, they restored the garden to its original state.
Dig
Tools vary by scale and purpose.
For larger projects, excavators are used to dig efficiently.
Bury
To place (a corpse) in a grave, a tomb, or the sea; inter.
Dig
To break up, turn over, or remove (earth or sand, for example), as with a shovel, spade, or snout, or with claws, paws or hands.
Bury
To dispose of (a corpse) ritualistically by means other than interment or cremation.
Dig
To make or form by removing earth or other material
Dig a trench.
Dug my way out of the snow.
Bury
To place in the ground; cover with earth
The dog buried the bone. The oil was buried deep under the tundra.
Dig
To prepare (soil) by loosening or cultivating.
Bury
To place so as to conceal; hide or obscure
Buried her face in the pillow.
Buried the secret deep within himself.
Dig
To obtain or unearth by digging
Dig coal out of a seam.
Dug potatoes from a field.
Bury
To occupy (oneself) with deep concentration; absorb
Buried myself in my studies.
Dig
To obtain or find by an action similar to digging
Dug a dollar out of his pocket.
Dug the puck out of the corner.
Bury
To put an end to; abandon
Buried their quarrel and shook hands.
Dig
To learn or discover by careful research or investigation
Dug up the evidence.
Dug out the real facts.
Bury
To outdo or defeat by a large margin
The team was buried in the first half by its crosstown rivals.
Dig
To force down and into something; thrust
Dug his foot in the ground.
Bury
To make (a shot) successfully and especially forcefully.
Dig
To poke or prod
Dug me in the ribs.
Bury
(transitive) To ritualistically inter in a grave or tomb.
Dig
(Sports) To strike or redirect (a ball) just before it hits the ground, keeping it in play, as in tennis or volleyball.
Bury
(transitive) To place in the ground.
Bury a bone;
Bury the embers
Dig
To understand fully
Do you dig what I mean?.
Bury
To hide or conceal as if by covering with earth or another substance.
She buried her face in the pillow;
They buried us in paperwork
Dig
To like, enjoy, or appreciate
"They really dig our music and, daddy, I dig swinging for them" (Louis Armstrong).
Bury
To suppress and hide away in one's mind.
Secrets kept buried; she buried her shame and put on a smiling face.
Dig
To take notice of
Dig that wild outfit.
Bury
To put an end to; to abandon.
They buried their argument and shook hands.
Dig
To loosen, turn over, or remove earth or other material.
Bury
To score a goal.
Dig
To make one's way by or as if by pushing aside or removing material
Dug through the files.
Bury
To kill or murder.
Dig
(Slang) To have understanding
Do you dig?.
Bury
To render imperceptible by other, more prominent stimuli; drown out.
Dig
A poke or thrust
A sharp dig in the ribs.
Bury
To outlive.
Grandpa's still in excellent health. He'll bury us all!
Dig
A sarcastic, taunting remark; a gibe.
Bury
Ruining the image or character of another wrestler, usually by defeating them in dominating fashion.
Dig
An archaeological excavation.
Bury
(obsolete) A burrow.
Dig
(Sports) An act or an instance of digging a ball.
Bury
A borough; a manor
Dig
Digs Lodgings.
Bury
A borough; a manor; as, the Bury of St. Edmond's
Dig
To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.should this be split into senses?
They dug an eight-foot ditch along the side of the road.
In the wintertime, heavy truck tires dig into the road, forming potholes.
If the plane can't pull out of the dive it is in, it'll dig a hole in the ground.
My seven-year-old son always digs a hole in the middle of his mashed potatoes and fills it with gravy before he starts to eat them.
Bury
A manor house; a castle.
To this very day, the chief house of a manor, or the lord's seat, is called bury, in some parts of England.
Dig
(transitive) To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.
To dig potatoes
To dig up gold
Bury
To cover out of sight, either by heaping something over, or by placing within something, as earth, etc.; to conceal by covering; to hide; as, to bury coals in ashes; to bury the face in the hands.
And all their confidenceUnder the weight of mountains buried deep.
Dig
(mining) To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
Bury
Specifically: To cover out of sight, as the body of a deceased person, in a grave, a tomb, or the ocean; to deposit (a corpse) in its resting place, with funeral ceremonies; to inter; to inhume.
Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave.
Dig
To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
Bury
To hide in oblivion; to put away finally; to abandon; as, to bury strife.
Give me a bowl of wineIn this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.
Dig
(figurative) To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
To dig up evidence
To dig out the facts
Bury
Cover from sight;
Afghani women buried under their burkas
Dig
To understand, to like.
Bury
Place in a grave or tomb;
Stalin was buried behind the Kremlin wall on Red Square
The pharaos were entombed in the pyramids
My grandfather was laid to rest last Sunday
Dig
To thrust; to poke.
He dug an elbow into my ribs and guffawed at his own joke.
Bury
Place in the earth and cover with soil;
They buried the stolen goods
Dig
(volleyball) To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball
Bury
Enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing;
The huge waves swallowed the small boat and it sank shortly thereafter
Dig
To understand.
You dig?
Bury
Embed deeply;
She sank her fingers into the soft sand
He buried his head in her lap
Dig
To appreciate, or like.
Baby, I dig you.
Bury
Dismiss from the mind; stop remembering;
I tried to bury these unpleasant memories
Dig
An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.
Dig
A thrust; a poke.
He guffawed and gave me a dig in the ribs after telling his latest joke.
Dig
(volleyball) A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
Dig
(cricket) An innings.
Dig
A cutting, sarcastic remark.
Dig
The occupation of digging for gold.
Dig
A plodding and laborious student.
Dig
A tool for digging.
Dig
A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand.
A £1 charity shop dig
Dig
Digoxin.
Dig toxicity
Dig
To turn up, or delve in, (earth) with a spade or a hoe; to open, loosen, or break up (the soil) with a spade, or other sharp instrument; to pierce, open, or loosen, as if with a spade.
Be first to dig the ground.
Dig
To get by digging; as, to dig potatoes, or gold.
Dig
To hollow out, as a well; to form, as a ditch, by removing earth; to excavate; as, to dig a ditch or a well.
Dig
To thrust; to poke.
You should have seen children . . . dig and push their mothers under the sides, saying thus to them: Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls.
Dig
To like; enjoy; admire.
Dig
To work with a spade or other like implement; to do servile work; to delve.
Dig for it more than for hid treasures.
I can not dig; to beg I am ashamed.
Dig
To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
Dig
To work hard or drudge;
Peter dug at his books all the harder.
Dig
Of a tool: To cut deeply into the work because ill set, held at a wrong angle, or the like, as when a lathe tool is set too low and so sprung into the work.
Dig
To understand; as, do you dig me?.
Dig
To notice; to look at; as, dig that crazy hat!.
Dig
To appreciate and enjoy; as, he digs classical music as well as rock.
Dig
A plodding and laborious student.
Dig
A tool for digging.
Dig
An act of digging.
Dig
An amount to be dug.
Dig
Same as Gouge.
Dig
A critical and sometimes sarcastic or insulting remark, but often good-humored; as, celebrities at a roast must suffer through countless digs.
Dig
An archeological excavation site.
Dig
The site of an archeological exploration;
They set up camp next to the dig
Dig
An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect;
His parting shot was `drop dead'
She threw shafts of sarcasm
She takes a dig at me every chance she gets
Dig
A small gouge (as in the cover of a book);
The book was in good condition except for a dig in the back cover
Dig
The act of digging;
There's an interesting excavation going on near Princeton
Dig
The act of touching someone suddenly with your finger or elbow;
She gave me a sharp dig in the ribs
Dig
Turn up, loosen, or remove earth;
Dig we must
Turn over the soil for aeration
Dig
Create by digging;
Dig a hole
Dig out a channel
Dig
Work hard;
She was digging away at her math homework
Lexicographers drudge all day long
Dig
Remove the inner part or the core of;
The mining company wants to excavate the hillsite
Dig
Poke or thrust abruptly;
He jabbed his finger into her ribs
Dig
Get the meaning of something;
Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?
Common Curiosities
Is burying always related to death or funerals?
Not exclusively; burying can also involve the concealment of objects or substances for various reasons beyond funerals.
Are the tools for burying and digging the same?
While there can be overlap, such as shovels or spades, the choice of tool depends on whether the goal is to cover something efficiently (burying) or remove soil effectively (digging).
What is the purpose of digging?
Digging involves removing soil to create a hole, trench, or cavity, usually for construction, planting, or accessing underground resources.
How does digging affect the environment?
Digging can alter landscapes, potentially affecting local ecosystems, especially in large-scale excavations.
What types of projects require digging?
Projects like construction, landscaping, archaeological excavations, and agriculture commonly require digging.
Is there a cultural significance to the way things are buried?
Yes, cultural and religious beliefs often dictate the manner, timing, and rituals associated with burying.
What does it mean to bury something?
Burying means to place something under the ground and cover it with soil, often for protection, secrecy, or as part of cultural practices.
Can burying and digging occur simultaneously?
Yes, burying often requires digging first to create a space for the object that will be buried.
What are some reasons for burying objects?
Reasons include protection from theft, preservation, and adherence to cultural or religious practices.
Can digging be a form of exploration?
Yes, archaeological digs are a form of exploration to uncover historical artifacts and fossils.
How do environmental laws affect digging?
Environmental laws may require permits or restrict digging in certain areas to protect ecosystems and historical sites.
How is digging for construction different from digging in agriculture?
Digging for construction often involves larger scale excavations and preparation for buildings, while agricultural digging focuses on soil preparation for planting.
Can burying be temporary?
Yes, objects or substances can be buried temporarily for purposes like composting or temporary concealment.
What role does technology play in digging?
Technology, like excavators and ground-penetrating radar, enhances efficiency and safety in digging operations.
What safety considerations are there for digging?
Safety considerations include checking for underground utilities, using appropriate tools, and ensuring the stability of the dug site.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
