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.

Visuals from the crash site show the wreckage of a plane engulfed in plumes of smoke and flames.

From BBC

Captain Dewi Lake insisted on Monday that Wales will use the turmoil and uncertainty engulfing the domestic club game as "fuel" to ignite their Six Nations campaign.

From Barron's

Inspired by the idea of "today's aristocrats", it featured "angst and a kind of wrongness, engulfing wrong taste", Anderson told reporters, departing from his safer approach last year.

From Barron's

He said he didn't want "normality" as he reimagined modern-day aristocrats for his second men's collection, adding that his designs included some "angst and a kind of wrongness, engulfing wrong taste".

From Barron's

Round number theory came into play with a bearish engulfing candle at $20 on June 23, which preceded a 71% decline until a doji on Dec. 16 signaled the potential turnaround.

From Barron's

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