ingrain 1 of 2

variants also engrain
1
as in to inculcate
to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to etch
to produce a vivid impression of the third-world privation he had witnessed forever ingrained itself upon the young doctor's memory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

ingrain

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ingrain differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ingrain are imbue, infuse, inoculate, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When is it sensible to use imbue instead of ingrain?

The words imbue and ingrain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

Where would infuse be a reasonable alternative to ingrain?

While the synonyms infuse and ingrain are close in meaning, infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

In what contexts can inoculate take the place of ingrain?

In some situations, the words inoculate and ingrain are roughly equivalent. However, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When is leaven a more appropriate choice than ingrain?

Although the words leaven and ingrain have much in common, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When might suffuse be a better fit than ingrain?

The synonyms suffuse and ingrain are sometimes interchangeable, but suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

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 ingrain
Verb
Those words have been virtually ingrained in the players’ heads. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025 Unlike that of any other TV program, SNL’s mystique—behind the hiring process, how to break out on-air, the clockwork nature of the production schedule—has become ingrained in the public imagination. David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025 This is something truly ingrained in the vineyard's hosting ritual, and a thoughtful, final touch any host can do. Isabella Milano, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025 But opposition to ObamaCare is ingrained in the Republican Party’s DNA. Emily Brooks, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ingrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingrain
Verb
  • After the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton, Conn., President Barack Obama had his then-Vice President Joe Biden meet with representatives of the video game industry to discuss whether their products somehow inculcated violence in society.
    Time, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Part of the emotional appeal of Reaganism was that there were left-of-center reprimands that seemed like an insult, an effort to inculcate shame, an effort to cast American history in a way that wasn’t sufficiently celebratory.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After dropping 43 points against Golden State on Tuesday, Doncic somehow topped it, finishing with 49 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists and etching his name in the history books for several reasons.
    Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • While fans may no longer watch those familiar white discs spiral across the field, the memories remain—etched in photos, in inside jokes, and in the hearts of those who once stood shoulder to shoulder, laughing as flour dust filled the West Texas air.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His tenure helped further entrench the NOI in the Northern part of Philly.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Members of Congress are entrenched in disagreements over health care policy with little bipartisanship on the horizon.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The idea is to insulate yourself against the market’s inherent volatility, and to have sufficient cash to cover your expenses in a downturn.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Music directors Jordan Summers and Nick Vincent did a classic song that passes too quickly on record a great service by extending it by a few choruses, giving Valentine a chance to wring the emotion out of it that was only inherent in Zevon’s necessarily simpler delivery.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In addition to cushy armchairs, cafe tables and a retail counter, the new space has a sweeping bar that offers alcohol-free or hemp-infused versions of hard liquors.
    Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Your hands will also feel soft after using these soaps, because they’re infused with olive oil and avocado for extra moisture.
    Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The recipe was so iconic, it's engraved on Nelson's headstone in Dow City Cemetery in Iowa.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The yellow-gold bezel is engraved with the F1 logo, while the caseback is marked from 1950 to 2025 to commemorate each race season.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Market cycles have always been intrinsic to investing.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • There’s an intrinsic magic that happens on board.
    Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Symptoms include severe headaches, high fevers, excessive vomiting, stiff neck and confusion, according to the CDC, and the best way to inoculate yourself against the disease is through vaccination.
    Mason Leath, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
  • However, Romo was seemingly afflicted with a malady that Prescott cannot inoculate himself against.
    Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ingrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrain. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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