engross

verb

en·gross | \ in-ˈgrōs

, en-\

engrossed; engrossing; engrosses

Definition of engross

transitive verb

1a : to copy or write in a large hand

b : to prepare the usually final handwritten or printed text of (an official document)

2 [ Middle English, from Anglo-French engrosser, from en gros wholesale, in quantity ]

a : to purchase large quantities of (as for speculation)

b archaic : amass, collect

c : to take or engage the whole attention of : occupy completely ideas that have engrossed the minds of scholars for generations

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Examples of engross in a Sentence

a mystery story that will engross readers all the way to the surprise ending

Recent Examples on the Web

Within minutes, he was engrossed with a grandson—Mr. — Eun-young Jeong, WSJ, "A Perilous Journey to Escape Kim Jong Un’s North Korea," 20 Dec. 2018 For the rehearsal dinner, guests were engrossed in an authentic Mexican night of drinking, dancing and celebrating; a nonconventional pre-ceremony event the couple dubbed their Fiesta Blanco. — Carley K, Harper's BAZAAR, "Samantha & Jonathan Glass' Oceanfront Wedding in Playa Del Carmen," 23 Mar. 2017 The writing and voice acting are movie-quality good, and the story’s tragic arc is engrossing to the end. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Ars Technica’s best games of 2018," 24 Dec. 2018 Klassen struggled early with woodworking and with working with recycled lumber, but engrossed himself in learning the craft and collecting tools. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "The Man, the Wood, and the River," 1 Dec. 2018 And the drama will so engross people that the facts fall by the wayside. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Roger Ailes was “not rational”: Alexis Bloom on her new film about the Fox News founder," 11 Dec. 2018 After collaborating with other players to defeat a few bosses in The Lord of the Rings Online, I am quickly engrossed in Path of Exile, leveling up Onderel, my witch character. — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, "How To Get Into the High-Powered World of Gaming PCs," 20 Sep. 2018 The writing is very direct but still managed to capture my emotions and keep me engrossed in the story. — The Editors, Outside Online, "The Best Adventure Books, According to Bookworms," 31 May 2018 Aside from a few snoozers, the essential ingredient for engrossing sporting spectacle — uncertainty — triumphed. — John Leicester, chicagotribune.com, "Is this the best-ever World Cup?," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'engross.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

16 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for engross

The first known use of engross was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for engross

engross

verb

English Language Learners Definition of engross

: to hold the complete interest or attention of (someone)

See the full definition for engross in the English Language Learners Dictionary

engross

verb

en·gross | \ in-ˈgrōs

engrossed; engrossing

Kids Definition of engross

: to take the attention of completely He was engrossed in a book.

engross

transitive verb

en·gross | \ in-ˈgrōs

Legal Definition of engross

: to prepare the usually final handwritten or printed text of (as a bill or resolution) especially for final passage or approval the amendment was ordered to be engrossed — Congressional Record — see also engrossed bill at bill sense 1 — compare enroll

Note: A bill or resolution is engrossed in the Congress and some state legislatures before its third reading and final passage by one of the legislative houses.