MEANING
1. To hold someone's attention so fully that little attention remains for anything else.
2. To prepare the final formal copy of a legal or official document.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- engross a reader
- engrossed in study
On the page
The argument engrossed her until the library lights began to dim.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- engross
- Past tense
- engrossed
- Past participle
- engrossed
- Present participle
- engrossing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- engross
- Present continuous
- am/is/are engrossing
- Present perfect
- have/has engrossed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been engrossing
- Past
- engrossed
- Past continuous
- was/were engrossing
- Past perfect
- had engrossed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been engrossing
- Future
- will engross
- Future continuous
- will be engrossing
- Future perfect
- will have engrossed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been engrossing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: psychology / human behavior. Forms: engross; engrosses; engrossed; engrossed; engrossing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: engrosses.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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