ingrained

[in-greynd, in-greynd]

adjective

1. firmly fixed; deep-rooted; inveterate.

   ingrained superstition.

2. wrought into or through the grain or fiber.

ingrained

/ ɪnˈɡreɪnd, ɪnˈɡreɪnɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. deeply impressed or instilled

   his fears are deeply ingrained

2. (prenominal) complete or inveterate; utter

   an ingrained fool

3. (esp of dirt) worked into or through the fibre, grain, pores, etc

Other Word Forms

• ingrainedly adverb
• ingrainedness noun
• uningrained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingrained¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; ingrain + -ed ²

Example Sentences

The stakes are high because in the 15 years since its passage, the ACA, often nicknamed Obamacare, has become ingrained in the American healthcare system.

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The jams are mostly rock oldies, Lennon’s deeply ingrained repertory from the early Beatles days, and they offer a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of the more relaxed, private side of his music making.

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Gibson is so ingrained in his created community that he has an office in the middle of the building and shows up nearly every day to coach a most unlikely looking squad.

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But Redford the actor was equally exceptional, a charismatic icon who starred in some of the greatest films in the 1970s and ’80s, movies that remain ingrained in our collective memory.

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"These services became deeply ingrained not only in people's daily lives but also in business processes."

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Related Words

• deep-seated 
• fixed 
• implanted www.thesaurus.com
• inbred 
• inherent 
• innate 
• intrinsic 
• rooted