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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has immersedperfect 3rd person singular
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have immersedperfect
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has been immersingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is immersingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are immersingprogressive
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am immersingprogressive 1st person singular
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immersingparticiple
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immersessingular 3rd person
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have been immersingperfect progressive
Past
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had immersedperfect
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were immersingprogressive plural
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had been immersingperfect progressive
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was immersingprogressive singular
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immersedparticiple
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immersedsimple
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.
As thrilling as it was to immerse myself in American sports, English football was my foundational text.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Monterroso Mejia, however, didn’t initially immerse herself in this singular project.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
This arrangement will allow me to immerse myself without being tempted to stare at my phone when I’m with my kid.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
"I just love being able to completely immerse myself in a different story and go from reality. I grew up in Holland and always dreamed of being in Hollywood," she says.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
My response to my problems was to immerse myself in literature.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
