engrossed

American

[en-grohst] / ɛnˈgroʊst /

adjective

completely occupied or absorbed, as by something that captures the mind or attention; showing or characterized by such absorption.

A carefully planned light show, combined with a five-minute tapestry of spacey sounds by the quartet, brought the engrossed audience into a meditative state.
written or copied in a clear, attractive, large script or in a formal manner, as a public document or record.

In the year 1776 Hopkinson voted for the Declaration of Independence, and affixed his signature to the engrossed copy of that memorable instrument.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of engross.

Other Word Forms

engrossedly adverb
self-engrossed adjective
unengrossed adjective

Etymology

Origin of engrossed

engross ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

"This is all dog content, when will the cat programme be on?" one person engrossed in the service wrote in the chatroom on PetTV's streaming page.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

For much of the summer, though, he was engrossed in something else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

The case marks the latest twist in a row that has engrossed Nigeria, raising questions about gender equality in the socially conservative nation.

From BBC • May 23, 2025

After dessert, with Rob still engrossed in conversation, I left the group, walked around the hotel grounds and found a quiet, deserted pool at the edge of a steep cliff.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

The musk ox was deeply engrossed in his reflection in the pond, turning his head to one side and then the other.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023