Synonyms of absorb

absorb

verb

əb-ˈsȯrb 

1

as in to drink

to take in (something liquid) through small openings

most of the spilled water was absorbed by the tablecloth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drink
• swallow
• sip
• imbibe
• soak (up)
• sponge
• take up
• suck (up)
• gulp
• quaff
• slurp
• guzzle
• swig
• swill

2

as in to occupy

to hold the attention of

chatting on the phone doesn't absorb me so much that I can't do something else at the same time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• occupy
• immerse
• interest
• intrigue
• involve
• attract
• fascinate
• engage
• grip
• busy
• engross
• distract
• enwrap
• catch up
• enthrall
• bemuse
• enchant
• preoccupy
• catch one's eye
• captivate
• obsess
• hypnotize
• charm
• mesmerize
• monopolize
• bewitch
• allure
• beguile
• hog

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bore
• weary
• pall
• tire
• jade

3

as in to integrate

to make a part of a body or system

local schools will seek to absorb the new immigrants into the regular curriculum as quickly as possible

Synonyms & Similar Words

• integrate
• incorporate
• assimilate
• embody
• co-opt
• merge
• amalgamate
• combine
• commingle
• blend
• intermingle
• mingle
• habituate
• accustom
• acculturate
• condition
• enculturate
• fuse
• naturalize

4

as in to consume

to make complete use of

cleaning the house absorbed the rest of his energy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• consume
• spend
• drain
• exhaust
• reduce
• burn
• use
• deplete
• eat
• expend
• devour
• play out
• draw down
• use up
• decrease
• run out of
• diminish
• waste
• empty
• weaken
• lessen
• downsize
• undermine
• clean (out)
• dwindle
• dissipate
• impoverish
• abate
• blow
• debilitate
• bankrupt
• cripple
• dry up
• sap
• disable
• enfeeble
• lower
• squander
• guzzle
• de-escalate
• throw away
• lavish
• run through
• misspend
• fritter (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• replace
• increase
• renew
• augment
• enforce
• reinforce
• enlarge
• strengthen
• preserve
• restore
• save
• revive
• rebuild
• repair
• conserve
• bolster
• fortify

5

as in to tolerate

to put up with (something painful or difficult)

somehow she managed to absorb whatever hardships life offered

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tolerate
• endure
• accept
• handle
• stand
• take
• sustain
• bear
• swallow
• stomach
• meet
• abide
• wear
• support
• stand for
• countenance
• stick out
• live with
• lump (it)
• suffer
• allow
• go
• bide
• brook
• hack
• sweat out
• tough it out
• permit
• pocket
• acquiesce
• reconcile (to)
• yield (to)
• submit (to)
• agree (with or to)
• capitulate
• respect
• consent (to)
• assent (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• reject
• dismiss
• resist
• avoid
• decline
• repudiate
• oppose
• fight
• escape
• combat
• evade
• spurn
• miss
• turn down
• contest
• circumvent
• bypass
• refrain (from)
• elude
• dodge
• forbear
• abstain (from)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of absorb

One of the ways the body deals with blood being a little acidic is for bones to absorb some of the excess carbon dioxide and lock it away as calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

The publishers claimed in the lawsuit that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is cutting into their search traffic and ad revenue by absorbing the content created by their hundreds of human writers and editors. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

In the agency partnership announced Thursday, the Treasury absorbs the loans from borrowers who are in default or haven’t paid their debts for at least nine months. —Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026

Production plans are unlikely to change quickly because budgets are set months in advance, though higher fuel costs will be absorbed, and broader cultural moods tend to surface on screen over time, says Hirsch. —Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026