Definition of engagingnext
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engaging

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verb

present participle of engage
1
2
as in facing
to enter into contest or conflict with the daring young captain was eager to engage the enemy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in committing
to obligate by prior agreement we can't go to the dance because we're already engaged to attend a piano recital

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
as in hiring
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum my sister and her boyfriend have engaged a chauffeured limousine for the prom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 engaging
Adjective
His least engaging work is beige and repetitive, all spark but no energy. Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026 Audiences want a quiet, efficient, relaxing, fun, visually engaging, communal experience unavailable at home. Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
Verb
The law requires only one member of the search committee to be a faculty member, but that doesn’t limit the board from engaging more faculty members in the process to get a wider array of feedback. Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2026 While gently engaging your abdominal muscles slowly extend one arm forward and the opposite leg backward while keeping the hips parallel to the ground. Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for engaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engaging
Adjective
  • Trader Joe’s pops this corn in a mixture of coconut and sunflower oil; coconut oil results in an airier and fluffier quality than popular alternatives like canola oil, while sunflower oil contributes an appealing crispiness.
    Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
  • The coastal setting is so appealing that all of the accommodations at the luxury resort include private balconies for enjoying ocean views.
    Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • Among the most interesting pendant necklaces of summer 2026, fish stand out.
    Selene Oliva, Glamour, 18 July 2026
  • But that doesn’t mean your arrangement should be any less interesting or beautiful.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • The first four episodes made available for review likewise have tiny sparks of interest, from some witty dialogue to genuine plot momentum to intriguing new characters popping up.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 21 June 2026
  • His 6-foot-6 frame and power potential offer intriguing athletic tools.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • Multiple schools are at the center of incidents in which teens are facing legal consequences for generating fake explicit images of their classmates.
    Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • European football returns to Wrexham this week with the size of the task facing the hosts clear on their Women’s Champions League debut.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • Adding Griezmann to the same lineup creates a counterattacking threat that could make opponents more cautious about committing forward, which would mean fewer runners for the back line to deal with.
    Scott Turick, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
  • In 2022, that person was charged with committing a hate crime against his neighbors in Bellingham, Washington.
    Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • The companies said the NSMV program helped transform the facility from a largely dormant shipyard employing only a few dozen workers into a site with more than 2,000 production workers.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
  • In a paper published this month in PLOS One, Alaei and her colleagues propose an alternative - employing a suite of superworms, a kind of hefty beetle larva that can capably pick a variety of animal skeletons clean.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • That puts additional weight on the value of the face-to-face interview — one of the last remaining stages of the hiring process that can’t be automated.
    Cami Fateh, Vogue, 22 July 2026
  • The casting was just as important as hiring our cinematographer or our production designer.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Adjective
  • The Southern Charm Rides historical tour is a must-do experience, moving us through Uptown, Fourth Ward, and pieces of the city’s earlier history in an open-air cart with a tour guide charismatic enough to keep us smiling for the rest of the trip.
    Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • Maradona, on the other hand, was a charismatic populist, a scalawag from a shantytown, irrepressible and impudent.
    Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Engaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engaging. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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