✅ Sponge means to live off someone else’s income or resources, especially in a way that takes advantage of that person’s kindness, friendship, or generosity (I disliked that character because he sponged off of his sister).

✅ Freeload means to take advantage of other people, especially for free food, accommodation, and entertainment (She feels bad for freeloading, but we’re happy to help her out).

✅ Sponge often suggests a pattern of behavior as well as a lack of respect for the person being taken advantage of (She was always sponging $20 from her friends).

✅ Freeload can suggest these things but is often less disparaging (They freeloaded several meals from their grandparents).

✅ Grease refers to fatty or oily substances, especially in a general sense (My gloves were covered in grease).

✅ Grunge refers to dirt or filth (There was a lot of grunge built up on the kitchen tiles).

✅ Both words refer to substances that make something dirty. Grunge is a more general term, whereas grease is more specific.

✅ Plunge means to cast into something with force. It can refer to objects or to yourself (The cat plunged into the undergrowth).

✅ Dive means to descend or plunge through the air or into something (dive into the water).

✅ Plunge and dive both mean to suddenly become immersed in something or to do something in a way that suggests becoming immersed.

✅ You can plunge an object into something else (I plunged my spoon into the ice cream) but using dive the same way is less common (I dove my hand into my bag as soon as I heard the phone ring).