ingrain 1 of 2

variants also engrain
Definition of ingrainnext
1
as in to suffuse
to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to etch
to produce a vivid impression of the third-world privation he had witnessed forever ingrained itself upon the young doctor's memory

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

ingrain

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ingrain differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ingrain are imbue, infuse, inoculate, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When is it sensible to use imbue instead of ingrain?

The words imbue and ingrain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

Where would infuse be a reasonable alternative to ingrain?

While the synonyms infuse and ingrain are close in meaning, infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

In what contexts can inoculate take the place of ingrain?

In some situations, the words inoculate and ingrain are roughly equivalent. However, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When is leaven a more appropriate choice than ingrain?

Although the words leaven and ingrain have much in common, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When might suffuse be a better fit than ingrain?

The synonyms suffuse and ingrain are sometimes interchangeable, but suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ingrain
Verb
From junior games on pitches every weekend, to crowds piling into pubs to watch England play the World Cup, football, as it is called outside of the United States, is deeply ingrained in the British national psyche. Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 7 June 2026 The rally marks a first test in a country where Catholicism, for centuries deeply ingrained in Spanish society, has dramatically dropped in recent decades. Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 6 June 2026 Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music. Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026 Soccer is not ingrained in Canada’s national psyche the way (ice) hockey is. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ingrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingrain
Verb
  • The standout is a grand, otherworldly picture, devoid of human and animal life but suffused with strange light, and the majesty and menace of colossal ice in moving water.
    Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
  • The experiment might sound sentimental, but Chakraborty, the production’s secret weapon, maintains a scientific restraint, albeit one suffused with maternal anguish.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Over five installments now, Pixar’s flagship franchise has built out what amounts to a theology etched in plastic and rubber about what constitutes a toy.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 June 2026
  • There’s also the matter of Grimes perhaps wanting to chase a starting role somewhere else rather than being permanently etched into a backup role in Philly behind two young star guards.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Lan traced his instinct toward stories rooted in place and personal memory to his admiration for Taiwan filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 June 2026
  • Without a pipeline of physicians rooted in these communities, shortages persist and deepen.
    Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, STAT, 19 June 2026
Adjective
  • True investment success hinges on identifying this crucial gap between what the market anticipates and what a company delivers, emphasizing that price discipline is paramount, regardless of a business's inherent quality.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • Crosby said the project is ahead of schedule despite challenges inherent in renovating a 200-year-old street.
    Elle Meyers, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • We were constantly informed that our purpose was to become genteel and inculcated in Christian virtue.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
  • Teaching religion at two Catholic high schools before and after law school, my job was to inculcate Roman Catholic values in my students.
    Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • With her fingers, Guadalupe Espinoza lightly traced the lettering engraved on a slanted monument wedged alongside the courtyard at the LA Plaza de Culturas y Artes.
    Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Vertical grooves in the glass trace the lines of agave fields outside Guadalajara, while the Roman numeral III engraved into the bottle and cap honors the third generation now shaping the González story.
    Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • With Claude Tag, Anthropic hopes to ease some of these burdens by simplifying the product and embedding it where companies already operate day-to-day.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 June 2026
  • Now, risk is embedded in day-to-day operations.
    Laurent Charpentier, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • The market is not one collective brain continuously calculating intrinsic value.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • What gives me optimism is that science has a sort of intrinsic way of renewing itself generationally.
    Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 16 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ingrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrain. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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