immerse

verb

im·​merse i-ˈmərs 

immersed; immersing

transitive verb

1

: to plunge into something that surrounds or covers

especially : to plunge or dip into a fluid

Immerse the fabric completely.

2

: engross, absorb

completely immersed in his work

3

: to baptize by immersion

Synonyms of immerse

• interest
• intrigue
• occupy
• fascinate
• involve
• attract
• engross
• engage
• busy

Examples of immerse in a Sentence

Immerse the fabric completely in the dye.

She had immersed herself in writing short stories.

He immersed himself in the culture of the island.

Recent Examples on the Web

As tall as a man and immersed in a sea of bracken, it is now covered in moss and disappears from sight amid summertime growth, only to reëmerge when winter arrives. —Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

But Carew’s main objective is to continue immersing himself ever deeper into his new craft. —Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026

Kravitz immersed herself in emceeing, AV production, event sales, and client management, learning by doing in environments where her talent was consistently recognized, even as colleagues sometimes tried to shape or direct it. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026

The image became visible again when the material was immersed in ice water or gradually heated. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin immersus, past participle of immergere, from in- + mergere to merge

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for immerse

• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse
• rehearse
• reverse
• transverse

Kids Definition

immerse

verb

im·​merse im-ˈərs 

immersed; immersing

1

: to plunge into something (as a fluid) that surrounds or covers

2

: to become completely involved in

immersed in a good book

immersion

-ˈər-zhən, 

-shən

noun