definitions

engulf

[ en-guhlf ]
/ ɛnˈgʌlf /
||

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.
to plunge or immerse, as into a gulf: He engulfed himself in his studies.

RELATED CONTENT

Why Are We Calling Everything A “Wave”?Why have so many waves found their way into our cultural lexicon in recent years? In this article, the first in the column Mincing Metaphors, we unpack this oceanic metaphor to better understand what it means and why it’s proving so useful right now.
READ MORE
Why Are We Calling Everything A “Wave”?Why have so many waves found their way into our cultural lexicon in recent years? In this article, the first in the column Mincing Metaphors, we unpack this oceanic metaphor to better understand what it means and why it’s proving so useful right now.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

plunge, inundate, consume, flood, overwhelm, envelop, swamp, submerge, encompass, bury, overrun, immerse, deluge, imbibe, engross, drown, overflow, whelm

Nearby words

engross, engrossed, engrossed bill, engrossing, engrossment, engulf, enhalo, enhance, enhanced oil recovery, enhanced radiation weapon, enhancement
Also ingulf.

Origin of engulf

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

SYNONYMS FOR engulf

1 envelop, bury, inundate, deluge, swamp.

Related forms

en·gulf·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for engulfing

British Dictionary definitions for engulfing

engulf

ingulf

/ (ɪnˈɡʌlf) /

verb (tr)

to immerse, plunge, bury, or swallow up
(often passive) to overwhelmengulfed by debts

Derived Forms

engulfment, noun
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