envelop
Americanverb (used with object)
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envelops,
present (3rd person singular)
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enveloped,
past participle, past
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enveloping
present participle
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to wrap up in or as in a covering.
The long cloak she was wearing enveloped her completely.
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to serve as a wrapping or covering for, as a membrane of an organ or a sheath.
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to surround entirely.
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Military. to attack (an enemy's flank).
noun
verb
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to wrap or enclose in or as if in a covering
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to conceal or obscure, as from sight or understanding
a plan enveloped in mystery
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to surround or partially surround (an enemy force)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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envelopsimple
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envelopssimple
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have envelopedperfect
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has envelopedperfect
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am envelopingprogressive
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are envelopingprogressive
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is envelopingprogressive
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have been envelopingperfect progressive
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has been envelopingperfect progressive
Past
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envelopedsimple
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had envelopedperfect
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was envelopingprogressive
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were envelopingprogressive
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had been envelopingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of envelop
1350–1400; Middle English envolupen < Old French envoluper, equivalent to en- en- 1 + voloper to envelop, of obscure origin; compare Old Provençal ( en ) volopar, Italian inviluppare to envelop, Italian viluppo tuft, bundle, confusion, referred to Medieval Latin faluppa chaff, wisp of straw, perhaps influenced by the descendants of Latin volvere to roll
Explanation
When something envelops you, it wraps around you. The Snuggie Blanket is so popular because it envelops your body, leaving only your head uncovered. Sure, it looks dorky, but it keeps you extra warm. You probably noticed that envelop looks just like the noun envelope, minus that last letter "e", and that's an easy way to help you remember its meaning, too. Picture what an envelope does — it seals a letter completely inside, or envelops it. Envelop can also be used in a symbolic way, to describe something that consumes or occupies your mind. If the pretty girl you just met starts to envelop your thoughts, your work will suffer because you can't concentrate. Envelop comes from the late 14c. word envolupen, meaning "be involved in."
Vocabulary lists containing envelop
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Comfy Cozy Lingo
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
See Examples For:
Gehry set out to create an immersive hall that would inspire artists and envelop the audience, said Meaghan Lloyd, his chief of staff and right-hand at his firm, Gehry Partners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
This “deep-dive arctic wave” of weather is expected to envelop basically 50% of the U.S. — as many as 30 states, so it’s a big storm that’s not leaving soon, said Yawger.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 22, 2026
This is hardly the first scandal to envelop a major college team, of course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 13, 2025
Months after ICE’s widely publicized raids, fear continues to envelop Santa Ana, a majority-Hispanic city with a large immigrant population.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2025
The streams envelop Ama and trap her in a watery prison before she can finish her Adinkra symbol.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
One moment the music envelops us in a mysterious hush and then it is downright jaunty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Seating 4,000, the Pritzker envelops a “Great Lawn,” with room for another 7,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
It has the same bustling feeling that envelops SW19, with fans queueing at the merchandise stalls or craning their necks at the practice courts for a glimpse of the players.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2025
I love the sizzle of the hot, spiced ghee when it is poured into the lentils, the way that dal envelops a bowl of rice like a hug.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
As the flowers flare up, a burst of blue flame envelops the rose and devours it.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
That’s one reason cybersecurity stocks like CrowdStrike have seen strong performance this year, bucking the selloff that’s enveloped many other software names.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
At night, the narrow cobbled streets of Old Havana are enveloped in inky black, devoid of power and virtually deserted.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
My left arm and hand are enveloped in a mass of probes, wires, gizmos and cuffs.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
By being in close quarters together, a greater sense of collaboration has enveloped The Ringer’s team.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026
George looked up, but all she could see was the heavy stage curtain, which enveloped her in a stuffy darkness before knocking her off the ladder.
From "George" by Alex Gino
Weightier than any of that is the ever-more involuted mystery enveloping the real Elizabeth Short, whose murder has inspired fictionalized homages before De Palma’s movie and since, but has yet to be satisfactorily rendered onscreen.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, John, David, and guest host Juliette Kayyem discuss the newest drama enveloping semi-royals Prince Harry and Meghan after they announced an impending move back to the UK.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
Everyone seems to have formed their own opinion on the alleged cheating scandal enveloping Saltburn Cricket Club, and it's not hard to see why.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
For the longest time, the residents of Val Verde could not find a lawyer willing to fight the landfill enveloping their neighborhood in clouds of stench.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
We trudged up the hill to the summit in the enveloping dusk.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
