Synonyms

engulf

American

[en-guhlf] / ɛnˈgʌlf /

Also ingulf

verb (used with object)

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
to plunge or immerse, as into a gulf.

He engulfed himself in his studies.

engulf British

/ ɪnˈɡʌlf /

verb

to immerse, plunge, bury, or swallow up
(often passive) to overwhelm

engulfed by debts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

engulfment noun

Etymology

Origin of engulf

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

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.

Photographs on local media show mountains engulfed by flames, with some residents likening the blazes to "volcanoes erupting", according to local news outlet Khaosod.

From BBC

They exist against the backdrop of whatever problem or crisis is engulfing the royal family or government back at home.

From BBC

Like other countries around the region, Iraq has become engulfed in the war, bringing to an abrupt end a period of nascent stability.

From Barron's

But the shack, which had moments ago been engulfed in flames, was suddenly not on fire at all.

From Literature

Notice that at the top of the pattern, two bearish candles, a shooting star and an engulfing pattern acted as resistance on July 3 and Nov. 14.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023