1. To place someone or yourself somewhere comfortable and secure, often for a prolonged stay.
2. To hide someone or something in a protected or concealed position.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- ensconce oneself in an armchair
- comfortably ensconced
- ensconced in an office
On the page
She ensconced herself beside the stove with a book and a pot of tea.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- ensconce
- Past tense
- ensconced
- Past participle
- ensconced
- Present participle
- ensconcing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- ensconce
- Present continuous
- am/is/are ensconcing
- Present perfect
- have/has ensconced
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been ensconcing
- Past
- ensconced
- Past continuous
- was/were ensconcing
- Past perfect
- had ensconced
- Past perfect continuous
- had been ensconcing
- Future
- will ensconce
- Future continuous
- will be ensconcing
- Future perfect
- will have ensconced
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been ensconcing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated prose. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: ensconce; ensconces; ensconced; ensconced; ensconcing Commonness: moderately common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Two useful contrasts: comfortable secure settlement and concealed secure placement; verified by MW and Collins. Writing functions: precise action, characterization. Third-person singular: ensconces.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.