engrossed
engrossed — adjective
1. so interested in what you are reading, watching, or listening to that you hardly
so interested in what you are reading, watching, or listening to that you hardly notice anything else happening around you
The twins were so engrossed in their new video game that they skipped dinner entirely.
engrossed in + noun phrase
Ananya sat engrossed in a thick book about marine biology for the whole flight.
sat engrossed in + noun
The audience remained completely engrossed throughout the three-hour play.
Kofi was too engrossed in sorting his stamp collection to hear the doorbell.
Fatima became so engrossed in her painting that she lost all track of time.
- absorbed
equally common; 'absorbed in thought' sounds slightly more natural than 'engrossed in thought'
- immersed
slightly more formal, often used for learning or creative work
- captivated
emphasizes delight or fascination rather than deep concentration
- riveted
suggests a fixed, unmoving attention, as if pinned to the spot
- distracted
focus is broken by outside events
- bored
lacks interest entirely
文法句型
be/get + engrossed + in + [something]
用法筆記
Typically used predicatively after 'be', 'become', or 'get', followed by the preposition 'in'. The subject is always a person or a group of people.
常見錯誤
engrossed — verb
1. to take up all of a person's interest or mental energy so that they think of not
to take up all of a person's interest or mental energy so that they think of nothing else
The documentary about climate change engrossed the entire class for two hours.
active: engross + person/group as direct object
A complex chess puzzle engrossed Vikram until he finally discovered the winning move.
The storyteller's rich voice and dramatic gestures engrossed every child in the room.
The beautiful illustrations in the picture book engrossed little Noa completely.
- bore
to fail completely to hold attention
文法句型
engross + [person]
be + engrossed + by/in + [something]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice: 'be engrossed by/in [something]'. The adjective form is far more common in everyday English than the active verb form.
常見錯誤
2. to produce the final official version of a text by writing it neatly in large le
to produce the final official version of a text by writing it neatly in large letters, as was done for legal papers before the age of printing
The monk carefully engrossed each page of the sacred text using black ink and a quill.
archaic register: engrossed + document
It took the scribe three weeks to engross the land deed in the required formal script.
Before the invention of the typewriter, lawyers hired specialists to engross their contracts.
- transcribe
broader meaning; does not specify large formal handwriting
- inscribe
suggests carving or engraving rather than writing on paper
- copy out
less formal, does not imply official status
文法句型
engross + [document]
用法筆記
This sense is historical or archaic. In modern English it appears almost exclusively in discussions of pre-printing era document preparation and calligraphy.
3. to purchase a very large amount of a product, especially in order to reduce supp
to purchase a very large amount of a product, especially in order to reduce supply and raise the selling price later
During the famine, some merchants tried to engross all available rice and sell it at huge profits.
historical: engross + commodity
The spice trader spent years trying to engross the entire pepper supply from the islands.
- corner
'corner the market' is the modern equivalent; more common in business contexts
- hoard
emphasizes storing rather than controlling supply
- monopolize
broader meaning; includes controlling production as well as supply
文法句型
engross + [goods/commodity]
用法筆記
This sense is largely historical. 'Engrossing' — buying up goods to corner the market — was considered a crime under English common law until the 19th century.