absorbing

adjective

ab·​sorb·​ing əb-ˈsȯr-biŋ How to pronounce absorbing (audio)
-ˈzȯr-
: fully taking one's attention : engrossing
an absorbing novel
absorbingly adverb

Examples of absorbing in a Sentence

shell collecting can be so absorbing that you don't notice the tide coming in
Recent Examples on the Web The nuts-and-bolts campaign efforts of strategizing, raising funds, courting delegates and resisting the push to drop out from fellow Black politicians like the slippery D.C. delegate Walter Fauntroy (André Holland) are quite absorbing, embroidered here and there with archival news footage. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Michaelson has been sitting in tech rehearsals this past week, absorbing and fine tuning changes with Greif and Williams. Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2024 Saint is only one of many characters whose stories unfold over the course of this deeply absorbing novel. Ilana Masad, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Where to watch If Beale Street Could Talk: Amazon Prime Video 22 of 23 The Age of Innocence (1993) Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a respected lawyer in 1870s New York who falls in love with his fiancée May's (Winona Ryder) cousin Ellen (Michelle Pfeiffer) in this absorbing period drama. Lia Beck, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024 Like most of Fincher’s works, Killer is emotionally detached yet absorbing, thanks to the visuals and Fassbender’s screen presence. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Jan. 2024 Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about reads. The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2024 But God is in the details, and the documentary fills in his life with an absorbing richness. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024 Society of the Snow is an often-nightmarish—but wildly absorbing—viewing experience. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'absorbing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of absorb

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of absorbing was in 1806

Dictionary Entries Near absorbing

Cite this Entry

“Absorbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absorbing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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