immerse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
immerses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
immersed,
past participle, past
-
immersing
present participle
verb
-
(often foll by in) to plunge or dip into liquid
-
to involve deeply; engross
to immerse oneself in a problem
-
to baptize by immersion
Synonym Usage
See dip 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
immersesimple
-
immersessimple
-
have immersedperfect
-
has immersedperfect
-
am immersingprogressive
-
are immersingprogressive
-
is immersingprogressive
-
have been immersingperfect progressive
-
has been immersingperfect progressive
Past
-
immersedsimple
-
had immersedperfect
-
was immersingprogressive
-
were immersingprogressive
-
had been immersingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of immerse
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin immersus “plunged, sunken into,” past participle of immergere “to dip, plunge, sink into”; see immerge
Explanation
If you immerse yourself in your work, you completely involve yourself in it, spending long hours in the office and thinking about work all the time. Immerse can also mean to submerge in a liquid. A science experiment might tell you to immerse a piece of paper completely in water. If you are a swimmer immersed in a rigorous training regimen, you might be immersing yourself in the pool several times a day.
Vocabulary lists containing immerse
ACT Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
With the Fire on High
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Speaking Up"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A Princeton math graduate says he’s “tired of chasing vanities” and wants to immerse himself in Plato.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
To play Sebastian, Guitarrica had to immerse himself in the character’s emotional repression, from which music is his only escape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
By all means immerse yourself in Harmonia Mundi’s fine tribute.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
They now plan to turn the property into a holiday let, where fellow fans can literally immerse themselves in the show.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
We immerse the potatoes in pots of boiling water, then set out cilantro, green onions, and spices, plus yogurt and mint bunches for the chutney.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Mr. Conlon’s program immerses students—few of whom have any classical education—in a two-month-long intensive study of ancient Greek at the beginning of their year at Ralston.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“It really immerses you into the intensity of these films, where you’re up close and personal with these characters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Ms. Sampson, a professor emerita of poetry at the University of Roehampton, expertly immerses readers in the cultural and intellectual world that produced one of the greatest practitioners of 19th-century literature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"Rob is that kind of actor where he immerses himself so deeply you sort of don't know where he ends and the character begins," Evans said.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
Instead, he immerses himself in the guidebook, studying the history of Mughal architecture, learning the succession of emperors’ names: Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
That could take the form of equine-assisted therapy, working with horses; horticultural therapy, involving plant-based activities; or forest bathing, a mindfulness practice drawing on the different senses while immersed in nature.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
They placed the lenses over rabbit eyeballs immersed in a saline solution intended to mimic natural tears.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
She then immersed herself in the Social Democratic party, whose youth league she joined when she was 16.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
She wanted him immersed in that kind of environment for a full semester, despite the big financial commitment for their family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
In Rabat I was immersed in a culture that had only been accessible through words in a book or pictures on a screen.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
This involves immersing oneself in water that is below 15°C to boost recovery.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
Flores describes “Ritchie Forever” as a “multimedia experience, going back in time with sound and immersing in the history.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
He succeeds in showing their interior world, immersing us in the tensions and pleasures, griefs and passions of their days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
A jazz and blues singer, she'd invite her niece to concerts and recording sessions, immersing her in the world of professional musicianship.
From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026
In the evenings at our apartment, he rehearsed for every outcome, immersing himself in hypotheticals the rest of us found bizarre.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
