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ingrown

American  
[in-grohn] / ˈɪnˌgroʊn /

adjective

  1. having grown into the flesh.

    an ingrown toenail.

  2. grown within or inward.


ingrown British  
/ ˈɪnˌɡrəʊn, ɪnˈɡrəʊn /

adjective

  1. (esp of a toenail) grown abnormally into the flesh; covered by adjacent tissues

  2. grown within; native; innate

  3. excessively concerned with oneself, one's own particular group, etc

  4. ingrained

"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

Etymology

Origin of ingrown

First recorded in 1660–70; in- 1 + grown


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:

My doctor said it may have been caused by an ingrown hair that became inflamed after collecting debris.

From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2026

When I first meet Michael Ontkean in the film, he plays a doctor and I'm there because I've got an ingrown hair under my neck.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025

The day after the appointment, they woke up with a fever, swollen lymph nodes and what appeared to be an ingrown hair near their groin.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2022

She told him the bump on his thigh was an ingrown hair and tested him for a urinary tract infection.

From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2022

But it was important to me, too, that our daughters feel released from some of the ingrown formalities of the place.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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