engross
Americanverb (used with object)
-
engrosses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
engrossed,
past participle, past
-
engrossing
present participle
-
to occupy completely, as the mind or attention; absorb.
Their discussion engrossed his attention.
She is engrossed in her work.
-
to write or copy in a clear, attractive, large script or in a formal manner, as a public document or record.
to engross a deed.
-
to acquire the whole of (a commodity), in order to control the market; monopolize.
verb
-
to occupy one's attention completely; absorb
-
to write or copy (manuscript) in large legible handwriting
-
law to write or type out formally (a deed, agreement, or other document) preparatory to execution
-
another word for corner
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
engrosssimple
-
engrossessimple
-
have engrossedperfect
-
has engrossedperfect
-
am engrossingprogressive
-
are engrossingprogressive
-
is engrossingprogressive
-
have been engrossingperfect progressive
-
has been engrossingperfect progressive
Past
-
engrossedsimple
-
had engrossedperfect
-
was engrossingprogressive
-
were engrossingprogressive
-
had been engrossingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of engross
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English engros(s)en “to gather in large quantities, draft (a will, etc.) in final form,” from Anglo-French engrosser, partly from Medieval Latin ingrossāre “to thicken, write large and thick” ( Latin in- in- 2 + gross(us) “thick” + -āre infinitive suffix); partly from Anglo-French, Middle French en gros “in quantity, wholesale,” from Latin in + grossus; see gross
Explanation
Engross is a verb that means to consume all of your attention or time. Once you engross yourself in the culture of high salaries and unlimited spending accounts, it's hard to go back to cooking at a sandwich shop. Engross first came into English in the 1400s from the Old French word en gros, meaning "in bulk, at wholesale." By the 1700s the word had taken on the meaning of "absorb the whole attention." Immersing yourself fully in something can be good or bad. If you're studying Shakespeare, you want the plays to engross you so you don't lose focus. But if your video games engross you so much that you forget to shower or eat, that's a problem.
Vocabulary lists containing engross
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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!
ACT Vocabulary List
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:
Dance, writes Ms. Footer, “began to engross him.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Whatever their inspirations, Neuman’s pictures are visual machines that both engross and propel the viewer’s eye.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 29, 2022
Narratives of injury engross us because they point to tangible harms — blindings and burns and broken bones.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2022
From the high-intensity action set pieces to the quieter moments, like riding on horseback or cooking a meal, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that will absolutely engross you if you let it.
From The Verge ● Dec. 17, 2018
He could engross himself in an inconsequential task for hours without growing restless or bored, as oblivious to fatigue as the stump of a tree, and almost as taciturn.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
It engrosses two floors of the Breuer with art of total mastery that also, at every turn, casts doubt on its own achievement.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2020
But the nuclear family more urgently tugging on Caroline’s apron and heart strings — her children and friends — is the one that on this occasion engrosses an audience most satisfyingly.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2017
It engrosses, it stuns, it distracts, and it overwhelms.
From The New Yorker ● May 18, 2015
And as a movie, A.I. engrosses without quite enthralling.
From Time Magazine Archive
When we are enjoying such bliss as that, it engrosses us and leaves us no senses with which to be conscious of anything else.
From San-Cravate; or, The Messengers; Little Streams by Charles Paul de Kock
Police and safety groups once warned players not to become so engrossed in catching the next Psyduck that they got lost or put themselves in danger.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Another former judge told me he was concerned about cameras for the first 30 seconds after they were turned on, but then he became engrossed in the case and forgot about being recorded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
For a time, Djokovic was cast as the villain - the disruptor to the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry that so engrossed fans.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
And we, the American people, have become unusually engrossed in it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
This had all helped get me fascinated, and I was soon longing to become engrossed myself in those ornate pieces.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
It was a match so engrossing it delayed the BBC News at 10.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
And even those unfamiliar with the tale — the vast majority of attendees, in all likelihood — should find it engrossing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
But in “Two Ships,” an engrossing intellectual history, David S. Reynolds sheds light on a cultural collision that shaped early America up to the Civil War and beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Abbott lifted Woakes into the building site, where a hotel is under construction, at mid-wicket, before the last twist of an engrossing day saw the last three wickets fall in the last two overs.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
You pore over an engrossing book, but it’s gross to pour over one.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
