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

Relevance

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
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 For Temple Hill, especially, this process is completely ingrained into the company’s business model. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 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
  • Ramírez played an integral role in the Red Sox's 2004 and 2007 World Series victories, etching his name among the best to have ever played in Boston.
    Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Ernie Hudson is etched into film history as the Ghostbusters franchise's Winston Zeddemore, but his career encompasses nearly half a century.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The two sides are deeply entrenched.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • His concerns have only grown since Israel and the United States carried out strikes in Iran in June, targeting its nuclear program, and as diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran have fizzled, entrenching sanctions further.
    Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For the most part, though, his attention to detail and his feeling for structure yielded readings of inherent, inarguable rightness.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
  • In fact, it's all done rather haphazardly, but with inherent purpose, which is exactly how a true Southern cook runs a kitchen.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Thus, current fears reinforce a pre-existing localism, and infuse it with new and intense emotions.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Across almost 20 novels, the British author spun fantastical tales with unsentimental wit, infusing his work with darkly morbid humor, blithe child endangerment, rotten and antagonistic adults, and a willingness to occasionally laugh at the misfortune of others.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Just start engraving the Tony statues right now.
    EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
  • In Ferndale, California, Christine and her husband are doing pre-planning and have already purchased and engraved their gravestones in a beautiful cemetery.
    Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • These children are more likely to develop a strong intrinsic locus of control, which leaves them less vulnerable to anxiety and depression later in life.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement No—provided that the money is not the point, provided that what matters to one’s work as a philosopher is intrinsic, not instrumental.
    Belinda Luscombe, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, Romo was seemingly afflicted with a malady that Prescott cannot inoculate himself against.
    Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
  • We’re almost inoculated by tragedy, although not in this case.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ingrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrain. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!