engrossed
Americanadjective
-
completely occupied or absorbed, as by something that captures the mind or attention; showing or characterized by such absorption.
A carefully planned light show, combined with a five-minute tapestry of spacey sounds by the quartet, brought the engrossed audience into a meditative state.
-
written or copied in a clear, attractive, large script or in a formal manner, as a public document or record.
In the year 1776 Hopkinson voted for the Declaration of Independence, and affixed his signature to the engrossed copy of that memorable instrument.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of engrossed
Explanation
When you’re engrossed in something, you’re so consumed by it that you don’t notice anything else, like when you’re engrossed in a conversation with that cute girl from your math class. Use the adjective engrossed to describe someone who is completely absorbed in something, whether it’s a task, a person, or an object. You might be engrossed in a movie that’s so good you just can’t look away, or you can be engrossed in talking to someone — like the girl from math class. Engrossed is often used with “in” — so you’d say you were “engrossed in” a book or “engrossed in” your homework.
Vocabulary lists containing engrossed
The Great Gatsby
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"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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50 Words from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They became engrossed in conversation, Evans said in the letter, which describes him falling in love during that first meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
For once, the 20,000-odd fans on a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium sat quietly engrossed during points.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
It was a day the 15,000 home fans on Centre Court, thousands more on Henman Hill - sorry, Arthur's Seat - and those engrossed across the country will never forget.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Receiving Chiarella’s “Leviticus” script while in Sydney on a bus to Bondi Beach, he became so engrossed in reading it he promptly missed his stop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
The hordes are engrossed by something in their midst.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
