as in immersed
having the mind fixed on something
Lori was so absorbed in her book that she didn't hear the bell ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in interested
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in integrated
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
4
as in consumed
to make complete use of
cleaning the house absorbed the rest of his energy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in tolerated
to put up with (something painful or difficult)
somehow she managed to absorb whatever hardships life offered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 absorbed
Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2026
The absorbed or scattered light creates a unique pattern called the spectrum, which is effectively the substance’s fingerprint.
—Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2025
Although the mercury hovered at only 5°, all of us became so absorbed in the rabbit chase that no one noticed numb toes and cold ears.
—Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Because of this, absorbed sunlight isn’t reradiated in every direction equally but in some directions more than others.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2024
Chemical sunscreen, also called absorbed sunscreen, works by absorbing the UV rays, converting them to heat and releasing them from the body.
—Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 7 July 2024
March 8 7 days from peak bloom 3°F warmer
March 10
6 days from peak bloom
1°F cooler
March 11
As temperatures rose early in the year, the cells in the bud became active and absorbed water from the branches of the tree.
—Harry Stevens, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
The blanket repels dirt and pet hair, shakes sand off easily, and amazed us during the spill test when liquid pooled instead of absorbed and was easily blotted, leaving no stain behind.
—Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2023
As the refrigerant expands, a pump takes it away, and a radiator dumps its absorbed heat.
—Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 18 Apr. 2022
Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 May 2026
The region has absorbed a decade of being discovered and come out intact.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026
Small disruptions that were previously absorbed start to become more significant.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Or maybe it just got too absorbed in the whole 'cool, multifunctional space' mentality and overlooked basic usability.
—C.c. Weiss
may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
Young college graduates are already feeling it, competing for fewer entry points in professions that once reliably absorbed them.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Point taken, and hopefully, absorbed.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 May 2026
When the runners arrived, the circle absorbed them.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The law, which will allow buildings as tall as 85 feet in areas zoned for single-family housing, will take effect July 1 only in areas with high incomes and strong amenities, where new housing is more easily absorbed.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Adjective
Unabsorbed calcium leaves the body through stool, and absorbed calcium that isn't needed may be filtered by the kidneys and leave in urine—often within about a day.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2026
The absorbed or scattered light creates a unique pattern called the spectrum, which is effectively the substance’s fingerprint.
—Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2025
Although the mercury hovered at only 5°, all of us became so absorbed in the rabbit chase that no one noticed numb toes and cold ears.
—Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Because of this, absorbed sunlight isn’t reradiated in every direction equally but in some directions more than others.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2024
Chemical sunscreen, also called absorbed sunscreen, works by absorbing the UV rays, converting them to heat and releasing them from the body.
—Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 7 July 2024
March 8 7 days from peak bloom 3°F warmer
March 10
6 days from peak bloom
1°F cooler
March 11
As temperatures rose early in the year, the cells in the bud became active and absorbed water from the branches of the tree.
—Harry Stevens, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
The blanket repels dirt and pet hair, shakes sand off easily, and amazed us during the spill test when liquid pooled instead of absorbed and was easily blotted, leaving no stain behind.
—Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2023
As the refrigerant expands, a pump takes it away, and a radiator dumps its absorbed heat.
—Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 18 Apr. 2022
Verb
In fact, Musk sought to fold OpenAI into Tesla -- a move that would have absorbed the venture into a for-profit entity, lawyers for Altman said in a legal filing.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 May 2026
The region has absorbed a decade of being discovered and come out intact.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026
Small disruptions that were previously absorbed start to become more significant.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Or maybe it just got too absorbed in the whole 'cool, multifunctional space' mentality and overlooked basic usability.
—C.c. Weiss
may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
Young college graduates are already feeling it, competing for fewer entry points in professions that once reliably absorbed them.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Point taken, and hopefully, absorbed.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 May 2026
When the runners arrived, the circle absorbed them.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
The law, which will allow buildings as tall as 85 feet in areas zoned for single-family housing, will take effect July 1 only in areas with high incomes and strong amenities, where new housing is more easily absorbed.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absorbed
Adjective
-
Plan to become immersed in the music here, from crafting your own synth beats to playing instruments in a makeshift garage band.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
-
Surgeons who participate in research, teach, and attend specialty conferences are more immersed in ongoing performance review and improvement.—
Mathias P. Bostrom,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Of those who drank, a quarter reported having four or more drinks in one sitting — binge drinking — in the prior month.—
Isabella Cueto,
STAT,
19 May 2026
-
For four hours, the group of artists laughed, drank, and debated their position in the rapidly shifting cultural landscape.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
To my surprise, that interested him—most men wouldn’t have wanted to hear about it.—
Joyce Johnson,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
-
Around the same time, Barwick and his then-student, Peter Haine, independently came up with a slightly different definition in order to answer a particular question in category theory that interested them.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Some networks, such as ESPN, have integrated betting odds into news tickers that report live scores.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
-
Cursor recently integrated its AI coding tools with enterprise software platform Salesforce, connecting software developers more closely with customer management and other business processes.—
Rebecca Fannin,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The nation-state has consumed our politics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Polling suggests that race could also advance to a June runoff, potentially keeping Georgia Republicans consumed by intraparty warfare for weeks longer.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Public corruption at any level will not be tolerated.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
These supplements are generally well tolerated, even at high doses, but are not always the most effective.—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Future discussions feel fuzzy rather than focused.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The May 9 cold open focused on Matt Damon as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who bonded at a bar with Jost's Hegseth and Ansari's Kash Patel.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Then Doris and her family are sent off on the train, swallowed whole by the Holocaust.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Even the celebrity CEOs building our AI future have been swallowed by forces bigger than themselves.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Absorbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absorbed. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
