Synonyms

engulf

American

[en-guhlf] / ɛnˈgʌlf /

Also ingulf

verb (used with object)

to swallow up in or as in a gulf; submerge.

The overflowing river has engulfed many small towns along its banks.

Synonyms:

swamp, deluge, inundate, bury, envelop
to plunge or immerse, as into a gulf.

He engulfed himself in his studies.

engulf British

/ ɪnˈɡʌlf /

verb

to immerse, plunge, bury, or swallow up
(often passive) to overwhelm

engulfed by debts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

engulfment

noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of engulf

First recorded in 1545–55; en- ¹ + gulf

Explanation

Engulf is a verb that means being completely surrounded, soaked, or covered. Fire, snow, smoke, flood waters, or even violence are a few things that could engulf you. Suppose an amusement park had a ride called Into the Whirlpool. Sounds like one for thrill-seekers who aren't afraid of water. Riders should expect to get lost inside, fully absorbed by the experience. The word engulf comes from the Old French word golfe, meaning "whirlpool," and the prefix en-, meaning "in or into." Riders of Into the Whirlpool should expect to feel engulfed — surrounded by water and completely covered.

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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.

Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and other cities this week when a dangerous heat wave and high humidity engulf the eastern two-thirds of the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

These residents insist they are neutral and refuse to leave, even as the fighting threatens to engulf their towns and villages.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

"If you keep working hard, the hard work will find a way to engulf the problem and make it tolerable. That is what I'm doing."

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Winter Storm Fern is forecast to engulf an area stretching from Texas and the Great Plains region to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

Scalding ash storms across to engulf me again.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

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