absorbing
- extremely interesting; deeply engrossing: an absorbing drama.
Origin of absorbing
absorb
- to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up: A sponge absorbs water.
- to swallow up the identity or individuality of; incorporate: The empire absorbed many small nations.
- to involve the full attention of; to engross or engage wholly: so absorbed in a book that he did not hear the bell.
- to occupy or fill: This job absorbs all of my time.
- to take up or receive by chemical or molecular action: Carbonic acid is formed when water absorbs carbon dioxide.
- to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection: to absorb sound and light; to absorb shock.
- to take in and utilize: The market absorbed all the computers we could build. Can your brain absorb all this information?
- to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.): The company will absorb all the research costs.
- Archaic. to swallow up.
Origin of absorb
Synonyms for absorb
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for absorbing
intriguing, gripping, fascinating, riveting, interesting, arresting, engrossing, enthralling, captivating, spellbinding, consuming, exciting, monopolizingExamples from the Web for absorbing
Contemporary Examples of absorbing
He pauses, absorbing the sunshine streaming into his garden.
We know that Mockingbird, played by Adrianne Palicki, will be making an appearance, as well as the Absorbing Man.
Her time with Dr. Simpson formed “the happiest and most absorbing years” of her life.
But for a truly intimate and absorbing experience, head over to Studio Theater on 14th Street.
His contempt for judges and politicians was so absorbing that I read the book in two sittings.
Historical Examples of absorbing
These concealed meetings, once begun, became an absorbing excitement.
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
Marriage might be the absorbing duty of some women, but was it necessarily hers?
Weighed and WantingGeorge MacDonald
It would mean a long summer of interesting and absorbing I work for her and for Katy.
Her Father's DaughterGene Stratton-Porter
She did not wish to be unkind, but her one absorbing idea at this moment was of solitude.
The DreamEmile Zola
He will be the power behind the tents, and I will be in them, absorbing all the credit.
It Happened in EgyptC. N. Williamson
absorbing
- occupying one's interest or attention; engrossing; gripping
absorb
- to soak or suck up (liquids)
- to engage or occupy (the interest, attention, or time) of (someone); engross
- to receive or take in (the energy of an impact)
- physics to take in (all or part of incident radiated energy) and retain the part that is not reflected or transmitted
- to take in or assimilate; incorporate
- to accept and find a market for (goods, etc)
- to pay for as part of a commercial transactionthe distributor absorbed the cost of transport
- 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 solidporous solids absorb water; hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide Compare adsorb
Word Origin for absorb
Word Origin and History for absorbing
absorb
early 15c., from Middle French absorber (Old French assorbir, 13c.), from Latin absorbere "to swallow up," from ab- "from" (see ab-) + sorbere "suck in," from PIE root *srebh- "to suck, absorb" (cf. Armenian arbi "I drank," Greek rhopheo "to sup greedily up, gulp down," Lithuanian srebiu "to drink greedily"). Figurative meaning "to completely grip (one's) attention" is from 1763. Related: Absorbed; absorbing.
absorb
(əb-zôrb′)- To take in by absorption.
- To reduce the intensity of transmitted light.