immerse

[ih-murs]

verb (used with object)

immersed, immersing 

1. to plunge into or place under a liquid; dip; sink.

   Synonyms: douse, duck, immerge

2. to involve deeply; absorb.

   She is totally immersed in her law practice.

   Synonyms: engage

3. to baptize by immersion.

4. to embed; bury.

   Antonyms: disinter

immerse

/ ɪˈmɜːs /

verb

1. (often foll by in) to plunge or dip into liquid

2. to involve deeply; engross

   to immerse oneself in a problem

3. to baptize by immersion

Other Word Forms

• immersible adjective
• reimmerse verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of immerse¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin immersus “plunged, sunken into,” past participle of immergere “to dip, plunge, sink into”; immerge

Word History and Origins

Origin of immerse¹

C17: from Latin immergere, from _im- (in) + mergere to dip

Synonym Study

See dip ¹.

Example Sentences

He plans to spend the day with his phone on 'do not disturb', potentially immersing himself instead in his rediscovered love of golf at his local club in Paisley.

Read more on BBC

He also is immersed in philanthropy, having founded the nonprofit Vision to Learn, which provides vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to children in low-income communities.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"And being immersed in them immediately was amazing, is amazing. It's still amazing."

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This is a particularly acute challenge for today's children who are in a "world immersed in digital technology", says Catherine, ahead of a visit to an early years centre in Oxford later on Thursday.

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"So it's going to be interesting to see if they immerse themselves in the game, because I know for certain it's really difficult not to get involved and emotional, and play the game wholeheartedly."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• baptize 
• bathe 
• bury 
• drench 
• drown 
• saturate 
• soak 
• steep