as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
an engrossing lecture on Native American culture before the arrival of Europeans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in intriguing
to hold the attention of
a mystery story that will engross readers all the way to the surprise ending
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 engrossing
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, the taut, engrossing and beautifully scripted play is evocatively and creatively staged by director Kim Strassburger in an arena-style production in Cygnet’s black-box Dottie Studio Theatre.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
From my time with the game so far, Marathon already packs lots of engrossing lore and little stories as part of its codex entries, audio logs, dialogue sequences, and surprising cutscenes.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for engrossing
Adjective
Her talent for channeling this script is the building block for thoughtful, engrossing theater.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, the taut, engrossing and beautifully scripted play is evocatively and creatively staged by director Kim Strassburger in an arena-style production in Cygnet’s black-box Dottie Studio Theatre.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
On the other side of the museum’s grand staircase, two engrossing small shows extend the presentation of Spanish art both forward and backward in time.
—Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
From my time with the game so far, Marathon already packs lots of engrossing lore and little stories as part of its codex entries, audio logs, dialogue sequences, and surprising cutscenes.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for engrossing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engrossing
Adjective
-
There's a joyously wacky energy to this broad comedy on the whole, giving Rudd an interesting arc to play.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
And all this other stuff is interesting, the arch and the other things that bother us.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
And while the company presented more data on that drug Tuesday, showing promising first-line and combination data on daraxonrasib, scientists also showed in another session intriguing preclinical data on a completely new compound that may represent what comes after the current lineup.—
Angus Chen,
STAT,
21 Apr. 2026
-
There’s familiarity there, but there’s also intriguing talent with Thompson.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond his cachet, which reportedly attracted other suitors like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 61-year-old Laviolette has long employed a forward-thinking, engaging and offensively aggressive style.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
Ramirez, never more engaging, invests an attractive and more carefree alternative, while Farthing may be less exciting but still someone who clearly loves Ivy, despite a rockier relationship that nevertheless is a viable path to take.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.—
Glenn Peoples,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Once on the ground visitors can enjoy Greenland’s rugged coastal landscapes, fascinating indigenous Inuit culture, and the opportunity to experience the country at its primordial best.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.—
Namara Smith,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
-
Those sorts of unexpected shifts are what make Vile’s brand of self-absorption so uniquely absorbing after all these years, even as Philadelphia leans into his familiar formula of ’70s-Neil ditch-digging filtered through ’80s-Springsteen production and stretched across ’90s-CD sprawl.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Venus and Jupiter align in Cancer in the part of your chart governing long journeys, higher learning, and international exploration, making the first two weeks especially ripe for immersing yourself in a new culture and simply having a wonderful time.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 May 2026
-
The center caps its three-week sessions at 15 guests and describes its mission as immersing participants in practices and behaviors that might otherwise take years to develop through outpatient therapy alone.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Engrossing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engrossing. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
