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

engulfment noun

Etymology

Origin of engulf

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

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.

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

Unlike some immune cells, macrophages can directly engulf and destroy cancer cells.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026

And explores the tragic events that engulf the couple and which inspire Shakespeare's play Hamlet.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

The fire quickly spread to engulf seven high-rise towers and took more than 24 hours to get under control.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Fear seemed to stretch out a vast hand, like a dark cloud rising in the East and looming up to engulf him.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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