absorb
Americanverb (used with object)
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absorbs,
present (3rd person singular)
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absorbed,
past participle, past
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absorbing
present participle
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to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up.
A sponge absorbs water.
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to swallow up the identity or individuality of; incorporate.
The empire absorbed many small nations.
- Synonyms:
- destroy, engulf, devour, consume, assimilate
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to involve the full attention of; to engross or engage wholly.
so absorbed in a book that he did not hear the bell.
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to occupy or fill.
This job absorbs all of my time.
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to take up or receive by chemical or molecular action.
Carbonic acid is formed when water absorbs carbon dioxide.
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to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection.
to absorb sound and light; to absorb shock.
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to take in and utilize.
The market absorbed all the computers we could build. Can your brain absorb all this information?
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to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.).
The company will absorb all the research costs.
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Archaic. to swallow up.
verb
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to soak or suck up (liquids)
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to engage or occupy (the interest, attention, or time) of (someone); engross
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to receive or take in (the energy of an impact)
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physics to take in (all or part of incident radiated energy) and retain the part that is not reflected or transmitted
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to take in or assimilate; incorporate
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to accept and find a market for (goods, etc)
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to pay for as part of a commercial transaction
the distributor absorbed the cost of transport
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chem to cause to undergo a process in which one substance, usually a liquid or gas, permeates into or is dissolved by a liquid or solid Compare adsorb
porous solids absorb water
hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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absorbabilitynoun
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nonabsorbabilitynoun
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preabsorbverb
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overabsorbverb (used with object)
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reabsorbverb (used with object)
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absorbableadjective
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nonabsorbableadjective
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unabsorbableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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absorbsimple
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absorbssimple
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have absorbedperfect
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has absorbedperfect
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am absorbingprogressive
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are absorbingprogressive
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is absorbingprogressive
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have been absorbingperfect progressive
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has been absorbingperfect progressive
Past
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absorbedsimple
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had absorbedperfect
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was absorbingprogressive
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were absorbingprogressive
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had been absorbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of absorb
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin absorbēre, from ab- ab- + sorbēre “to suck in, swallow”
Explanation
To absorb is to take in or suck up like a sponge. If you don't hear your mother calling because you are reading, you could say you were absorbed in the book. If your parents buy groceries for a party you are throwing and don't make you pay, you could say that they decided to absorb the cost of the food. Young minds absorb information easily. The word, absorbent, describes something that is capable of absorbing something else. When you go swimming on a chilly day, it's best to carry an absorbent towel so that all of the water is absorbed from the surface of your skin.
Vocabulary lists containing absorb
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
How much money can this strategy absorb without jeopardizing future returns?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Your emergency fund has already done exactly what it was supposed to do: You used it to absorb a series of significant, unexpected expenses without selling investments or taking on debt.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Warmer waters absorb less carbon dioxide, leaving more of the planet-warming gas in the atmosphere.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
He’ll just sit there, almost Buddha-like, and absorb it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Like she’s wishing my father was there to help her absorb what’s being said.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Healthcare now absorbs 18% of gross domestic product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Scientists have observed how energy moves through a molecule immediately after it absorbs light, revealing that individual atoms can record very different parts of the transformation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
Its open crumb absorbs just enough sauce to become more flavorful as it sits, while the soft crust remains easy to eat on a towel without showering your lap in shards.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
In addition, many now need to issue equity and debt, which absorbs available funds.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Water absorbs the heat generated by fission and evaporates into steam.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
But that’s not the story most people have absorbed.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
This idea suggests that the physical structure of dairy foods influences how their nutrients are digested, absorbed, and ultimately affect the body.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
It has absorbed some of the tech mindset, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Nasa absorbed his ovation, then took his bench in the middle of the orchestra with a little monitor displaying the movie on his piano.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Instead of using nanocrystals to reflect light and change color, chromatophores absorbed light to change color.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
The feature is usually linked to dense gas absorbing photons in the atmospheres of stars that are a few hundred million years old.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Amazon and Twitch are not the first to start absorbing user data to build AI models as competition in the sector heats up.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Somewhere in the middle, the rest of us wondered how absorbing such horror would change us, whether as individuals or as a society.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Burnham spent time too as mayor absorbing people's experiences, their hardships and frustrations.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
They learn the value of education by absorbing the laws and traditions of the tribe.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
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.
