preoccupy
Americanverb (used with object)
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to absorb or engross to the exclusion of other things.
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to occupy beforehand or before others.
verb
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to engross the thoughts or mind of
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to occupy before or in advance of another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preoccupysimple
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preoccupiessimple
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have preoccupiedperfect
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has preoccupiedperfect
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am preoccupyingprogressive
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are preoccupyingprogressive
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is preoccupyingprogressive
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have been preoccupyingperfect progressive
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has been preoccupyingperfect progressive
Past
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preoccupiedsimple
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had preoccupiedperfect
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was preoccupyingprogressive
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were preoccupyingprogressive
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had been preoccupyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of preoccupy
Explanation
Things that preoccupy you engross or enthrall you — they suck up all of your attention and energy, sometimes to an unhealthy degree. Your upcoming math test might preoccupy you, making it difficult for you to concentrate in English class. For some teenagers, thoughts about how they appear to others can easily preoccupy them, while others let their concern about grades and college applications preoccupy them. It's important to spend some time thinking about these things, but allowing them to preoccupy you can be stressful and unpleasant. Preoccupy comes from the Latin word praeoccupare, "seize beforehand."
Vocabulary lists containing preoccupy
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.
That, along with the Knicks players' return from San Antonio, will preoccupy this city with basketball for a few more days.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
“If the Iran situation lingers, it will preoccupy more and more of Congress’ time,” said Stifel Chief Washington Strategist Brian Gardner.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
What will preoccupy us in a century, fuel our ambitions and stir our fears, will probably be something we can’t even imagine today.
From Slate • Dec. 9, 2025
Numbers don’t preoccupy me as much as they did my father, but I still find them fascinating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
Of course, the dreams that I had during my illness continued to preoccupy me.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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.
