engulf

Also in·gulf

[en-guhlf]

verb (used with object)

1. to swallow up in or as in a gulf; submerge.

   The overflowing river has engulfed many small towns along its banks.

   Synonyms: swamp, deluge, inundate, bury, envelop

2. to plunge or immerse, as into a gulf.

   He engulfed himself in his studies.

engulf

/ ɪnˈɡʌlf /

verb

1. to immerse, plunge, bury, or swallow up

2. (often passive) to overwhelm

   engulfed by debts

Other Word Forms

• engulfment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of engulf¹

First recorded in 1545–55; en- ¹ + gulf

Example Sentences

“If I lived completely engulfed in my own bubble, I’d probably be desperate,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Videos shared to social media showed the large, beachfront home emitting black smoke and engulfed in flames.

From Salon

Images taken on the opening day of the trial in September 2024 highlight the seismic changes that have engulfed the Pelicots in the past 13 months.

From BBC

Gabriel says that his childhood was engulfed by outlandish misinformation about 9/11 being "an inside job" and the Royal Family being shape-shifting lizards.

From BBC

Now Potter has been engulfed by a similarly chaotic environment at West Ham, the reputation he built so carefully - along with a talented team at Brighton - in tatters.

From BBC

Related Words

• bury 
• consume 
• encompass 
• envelop 
• flood 
• immerse 
• inundate 
• overrun 
• overwhelm 
• plunge 
• submerge 
• swamp