immerse
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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(often foll by in) to plunge or dip into liquid
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to involve deeply; engross
to immerse oneself in a problem
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to baptize by immersion
Synonym Usage
See dip 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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immersesimple
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immersessimple
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have immersedperfect
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has immersedperfect
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am immersingprogressive
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are immersingprogressive
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is immersingprogressive
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have been immersingperfect progressive
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has been immersingperfect progressive
Past
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immersedsimple
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had immersedperfect
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was immersingprogressive
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were immersingprogressive
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had been immersingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of immerse
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin immersus “plunged, sunken into,” past participle of immergere “to dip, plunge, sink into”; see immerge
Explanation
If you immerse yourself in your work, you completely involve yourself in it, spending long hours in the office and thinking about work all the time. Immerse can also mean to submerge in a liquid. A science experiment might tell you to immerse a piece of paper completely in water. If you are a swimmer immersed in a rigorous training regimen, you might be immersing yourself in the pool several times a day.
Vocabulary lists containing immerse
ACT Vocabulary List
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With the Fire on High
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"Speaking Up"
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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:
It will immerse you in the action, put you in the arena or the stadium and give you the best seat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Sometimes it really is as simple as putting on the wig or turning on a movie to immerse yourself in an experience beyond your own.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
They now plan to turn the property into a holiday let, where fellow fans can literally immerse themselves in the show.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Monterroso Mejia, however, didn’t initially immerse herself in this singular project.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
"You will immerse once, then twice," she instructs me.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
"It immerses you in that fantasy," Alia says, describing it as a form of escapism.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Her 2011 novel “Salvage the Bones,” set in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina, immerses the reader in a world full of suffering but telegraphs something profound about human dignity and care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
Mr. Frankel is most convincing when he avoids bold statements, however, and instead immerses himself in the skulduggery of Kansas City politics or the treacherous demimonde of Hollywood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
This temporal blending, far from being a coldly experimental exercise, immerses us in the pure pleasure of storytelling, as light and free as those magical puppet shows Gomes occasionally returns to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
Instead, she immerses herself in getting August’s costume ready, since we all know Halloween is his favorite time of year.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
During hydration breaks and at half-time, a large towel that has been immersed in ice-cold water is more effective.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He immersed himself in the role so thoroughly some heads of government who worked with him began describing him as an actor who never broke character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Until now, however, the same approach had not succeeded with molecules immersed in a superfluid.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026
The "GTA" saga's action-adventure titles set in a sprawling open world have immersed players in high-definition imaginary cities heavily inspired by American metropolises.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Ralph paddled backwards down the slope, immersed his mouth and blew a jet of water into the air.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
We will be trying to “get away from it all” by immersing ourselves in nature, including nature walks, beach vacations and camping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
"We can levitate objects against gravity by immersing them in a sound field called a standing wave."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 22, 2026
They escorted moviegoers to other worlds, immersing them in the high-flying, dangerous adventures of Indiana Jones or Ellen Ripley.
From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2026
Georgia had trained as a midwife, immersing herself in the world she feared she could never be part of.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
Harry heard Hermione gasp, and he had the odd sensation that something was swooping low over him, immersing his body in its shadow.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
