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Synonyms

absorbed

American  
[ab-sawrbd, -zawrbd] / æbˈsɔrbd, -ˈzɔrbd /

adjective

  1. deeply interested or involved; preoccupied.

    He had an absorbed look on his face.
absorbed British  
/ əbˈsɔːbɪdlɪ, -ˈzɔːbd, -ˈzɔː-, əbˈsɔːbd /

adjective

  1. engrossed; deeply interested

"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

  • absorbedly adverb
  • absorbedness noun
  • unabsorbed adjective
  • well-absorbed adjective

Etymology

Origin of absorbed

First recorded in 1755–65; absorb + -ed 2

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.

The pub, which also has a campsite, said it had absorbed the latest rise earlier this year.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Wilhelm Roux, who studied under Virchow and later absorbed Charles Darwin’s influence, saw something darker: a “struggle of the parts,” with individual cells vying fiercely for resources and dominance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

As with his beloved Florida citrus, Rick Dantzler’s on the way out—age 70, retiring from the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, which, after losing its state funding, was getting absorbed by another group anyway.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

This shift toward alkalinity may activate certain enzymes that increase how quickly glucose is absorbed and used by the body.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2026

I kept to the narrow footpath, clear and white in the moonlight, walking swiftly and absorbed in my thoughts.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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.