ingrain

[ verb in-greyn; adjective, noun in-greyn ]

See synonyms for: ingrain ingrained on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to implant or fix deeply and firmly, as in the nature or mind.

adjective

ingrained; firmly fixed.
(of fiber or yarn) dyed in a raw state, before being woven or knitted.

made of fiber or yarn so dyed: ingrain fabric.
(of carpets) made of ingrain yarn and so woven as to show a different pattern on each side; reversible.

noun

yarn, wool, etc., dyed before manufacture.
an ingrain carpet.

Origin of ingrain

First recorded in 1760–70; originally phrase (dyed) in grain (i.e., with kermes)

Also en·grain [en-greyn] /ɛnˈgreɪn/ (for defs. 1, 2) .

Other words for ingrain

1	infuse, inculcate, imbue

See synonyms for ingrain on Thesaurus.com

Words Nearby ingrain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ingrain in a sentence

It’s gotten to the point that deep dish, like the “The Bean” and Chicago’s unforgiving wind, have been ingrained in people’s minds as a Chicago staple, even though it’s not.
If You Think Deep Dish Is Chicago’s True Pizza, Think Again | Joshua Eferighe | December 11, 2020 | Ozy
That change ingrains the memory and lets us keep memories we recall more often, while others fade.
Brain Cell DNA Refolds Itself to Aid Memory Recall | Elena Renken | November 2, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
For direct-to-consumer brands, skepticism of Amazon is ingrained into them from launch.
Why some DTC brands’ Amazon strategies have changed | Anna Hensel | October 16, 2020 | Digiday
Bars and restaurants are ingrained in our national culture and history.
Bar Rescue: Pandemic Edition | jakemeth | September 15, 2020 | Fortune
Also, the idea of skincare as self-care has now been ingrained into our minds.
The Gen Z founders of a boutique skincare brand tackling chronic skin conditions and stigma | Rachel King | September 13, 2020 | Fortune

Whereupon Mufty, finding himself dropped upon the coldly unsympathetic ingrain carpet, desisted from further encouraging remarks.
A Bookful of Girls | Anna Fuller
But I never can—I'm like him, every one says so, and he says the heedlessness is ingrain, and can't be got rid of.
The Daisy Chain | Charlotte Yonge
Between the pews, in the aisle, the violent vermilion of a strip of ingrain carpet assaulted the eye.
The Octopus | Frank Norris
On the floor was a much used and faded ingrain carpet, in one place worn through by the edge of a loose board.
David Harum | Edward Noyes Westcott
She felt her feet sink luxuriously into the rugs, oh, so different from the threadbare ingrain carpet at home!
Jewel Weed | Alice Ames Winter

British Dictionary definitions for ingrain

ingrain

verb(ɪnˈɡreɪn) (tr)

to impress deeply on the mind or nature; instil
archaic to dye into the fibre of (a fabric)

adjective(ˈɪnˌɡreɪn)

variants of ingrained
(of woven or knitted articles, esp rugs and carpets) made of dyed yarn or of fibre that is dyed before being spun into yarn

noun(ˈɪnˌɡreɪn)

- a carpet made from ingrained yarn
- such yarn

Origin of ingrain

C18: from the phrase dyed in grain dyed with kermes through the fibre

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

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