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

Mr. Steele is also engrossed by the meltdown at the Heritage Foundation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Said Palmer, engrossed in preparing the program for the last eight months: “It’s time.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2025

People with no connection to the Post Office told the BBC how they became engrossed watching.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025

I was so engrossed, I didn't hear the door swing open and Seema charge in until she grabbed me by the arm and ushered me into the kitchen.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

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