engross

/ɪnˈɡrəʊs/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈɡrəʊs/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈgrōs en-/ (ame, mw)

engross — verb

  • engrosspresent simple I / you / we / they
  • engrosseshe / she / it
  • engrossedpast simple
  • engrossing-ing form

1. to hold a person's mind so fully with interest that they stop noticing much else

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to hold a person's mind so fully with interest that they stop noticing much else around them

例句

Christopher's notebook about life at sea engrossed me all through the ferry ride home.

engross + somebody through a stretch of time

At lunch, Nila was so engrossed in sketching that she missed the bell.

be engrossed in + activity

同義詞
  • absorb

    more neutral and common; often used for work, reading, or thought that takes over your attention.

  • fascinate

    stresses strong interest or curiosity, but not always the same complete mental involvement.

  • grip

    more forceful and emotional; often used when a story or event holds you tensely.

  • preoccupy

    can suggest the mind is filled by worry or repeated thought, not necessarily pleasant interest.

反義詞
  • bore

    fail to hold a person's attention.

  • distract

    pull attention away instead of holding it on one thing.

文法句型

engross + somebody

be engrossed in + something

用法筆記

Often passive in the pattern 'be engrossed in + book, game, conversation, or task'. In the active form, the subject is usually something interesting that takes over a person's attention for a while, not just something they notice briefly.

常見錯誤

❌I was engrossed by doing homework.
✅I was engrossed in doing homework.
💡After the passive form, use 'in' before an activity; 'by' usually introduces the thing that held your attention.
❌The lesson engrossed on me for an hour.
✅The lesson engrossed me for an hour.
💡In the active form, 'engross' takes a direct object, not 'on'.