engross

American  

[en-grohs] / ɛnˈgroʊs /

verb (used with object)

1. to occupy completely, as the mind or attention; absorb.

   Their discussion engrossed his attention.

   She is engrossed in her work.

   Synonyms:

   engage, immerse, involve

2. 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.

3. to acquire the whole of (a commodity), in order to control the market; monopolize.

---

engross British  

/ ɪnˈɡrəʊsɪdlɪ, ɪnˈɡrəʊs /

verb

1. to occupy one's attention completely; absorb

2. to write or copy (manuscript) in large legible handwriting

3. law to write or type out formally (a deed, agreement, or other document) preparatory to execution

4. another word for corner

---

Other Word Forms

• engrossed adjective
• engrossedly adverb
• engrosser noun
• reengross verb (used with object)

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.

Example Sentences

This discovery of Orage’s significance in Katherine Mansfield’s life and work matters to scholars, but Ms. Kimber misjudges how much it might engross readers of a biography.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

And I wanted to engross the actors and the audience in what she’s saying and feeling, so we can be there with her and feel it too.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2022

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

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

Related Words

• bewitch
• captivate
• enrapture
• enthrall
• fascinate
• immerse
• preoccupy