ingrained
Americanadjective
-
firmly fixed; deep-rooted; inveterate.
ingrained superstition.
-
wrought into or through the grain or fiber.
adjective
-
deeply impressed or instilled
his fears are deeply ingrained
-
(prenominal) complete or inveterate; utter
an ingrained fool
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(esp of dirt) worked into or through the fibre, grain, pores, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ingrained
Explanation
Use the adjective ingrained to describe the strong beliefs of someone who has thought that way for a very long time, such as the ingrained patriotism of a 20-year military veteran. Ingrained comes from the word grain, which in late Middle English referred to a certain kind of dye. This type of dye was indelible — unable to be removed — much like ingrained beliefs that are so firmly fixed that they'll never change.
Vocabulary lists containing ingrained
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Bless Me, Ultima
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Vocabulary from texts about Colin Powell
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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.
"Mothers actually teach these routes to their calves when they are young, so the patterns are deeply ingrained," Castro said.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
It’s an intense moment that remains ingrained in Morris’ mind.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
It offers a cautionary tale for the rest of the Gulf of what can happen when uncertainty and instability become ingrained in countries whose selling points are wealth and peace.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Those words, she said, were ingrained in her mind.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
New outfits can’t erase the divisions between us; they are ingrained.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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.
