Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

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

“Sometimes when I shaved, the wool uniform would irritate my skin and cause ingrown hairs or a rash,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2023

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

I replace the giraffe’s neck poultice, cold-soak a camel for a suspected hoof abscess, and survive my first cat procedure—treating Rex for an ingrown claw while Clive strokes his head.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com