absorb
Americanverb (used with object)
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to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up.
A sponge absorbs water.
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to swallow up the identity or individuality of; incorporate.
The empire absorbed many small nations.
- Synonyms:
- destroy, engulf, devour, consume, assimilate
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to involve the full attention of; to engross or engage wholly.
so absorbed in a book that he did not hear the bell.
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to occupy or fill.
This job absorbs all of my time.
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to take up or receive by chemical or molecular action.
Carbonic acid is formed when water absorbs carbon dioxide.
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to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection.
to absorb sound and light; to absorb shock.
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to take in and utilize.
The market absorbed all the computers we could build. Can your brain absorb all this information?
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to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.).
The company will absorb all the research costs.
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Archaic. to swallow up.
verb
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to soak or suck up (liquids)
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to engage or occupy (the interest, attention, or time) of (someone); engross
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to receive or take in (the energy of an impact)
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physics to take in (all or part of incident radiated energy) and retain the part that is not reflected or transmitted
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to take in or assimilate; incorporate
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to accept and find a market for (goods, etc)
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to pay for as part of a commercial transaction
the distributor absorbed the cost of transport
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chem to cause to undergo a process in which one substance, usually a liquid or gas, permeates into or is dissolved by a liquid or solid Compare adsorb
porous solids absorb water
hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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absorbabilitynoun
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nonabsorbabilitynoun
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preabsorbverb
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absorbableadjective
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nonabsorbableadjective
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unabsorbableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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absorbsimple
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absorbssimple
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have absorbedperfect
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has absorbedperfect
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am absorbingprogressive
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are absorbingprogressive
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is absorbingprogressive
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have been absorbingperfect progressive
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has been absorbingperfect progressive
Past
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absorbedsimple
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had absorbedperfect
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was absorbingprogressive
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were absorbingprogressive
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had been absorbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of absorb
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin absorbēre, from ab- ab- + sorbēre “to suck in, swallow”
Explanation
To absorb is to take in or suck up like a sponge. If you don't hear your mother calling because you are reading, you could say you were absorbed in the book. If your parents buy groceries for a party you are throwing and don't make you pay, you could say that they decided to absorb the cost of the food. Young minds absorb information easily. The word, absorbent, describes something that is capable of absorbing something else. When you go swimming on a chilly day, it's best to carry an absorbent towel so that all of the water is absorbed from the surface of your skin.
Vocabulary lists containing absorb
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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!
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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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.
While these algal blooms absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, they also pose a major threat to the region's delicate balance.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
“We are going to absorb it, optimize it and scale it into something that is really truly fantastic,” said Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck in a YouTube presentation of the deal.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
High-energy lasers are degraded by atmospheric conditions — rain, fog, sand and smoke all scatter and absorb the beam, reducing effective range and time on target.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
It was struggling to absorb the cost of reunification and unemployment was almost twice its current level, pushed up by rigid labor laws and the second-highest labor costs in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
It's starting to feel as if the crowd will absorb us and move us.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Definitions 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.
