variants
also engrained
as in inherent
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing
her deeply ingrained distrust of all authority
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also engrained
1
as in suffused
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in etched
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
as in rooted
to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter
tried to ingrain traditional values in their children
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 ingrained
Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 17 Feb. 2026
The practice is so ingrained in NBA culture that even suggestions to fight it seem hard to come by.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 15 Feb. 2026
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Change is possible, no matter how ingrained our bad habits are.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ingrained
Adjective
But why has wrestling become so ingrained in the state's culture?
—Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 17 Feb. 2026
The practice is so ingrained in NBA culture that even suggestions to fight it seem hard to come by.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
Hell yeah, bro, it’s ingrained.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Change is possible, no matter how ingrained our bad habits are.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ingrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingrained
Adjective
-
Stedman offers a heartfelt homage to the virtues of rural community and the natural beauty unique to Western Australia, as well as a critique of the strictures and dangers inherent in small-minded communities.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In addition, inherent design flaws contributed to the disaster, notably the graphite end switches of the neutron-absorbing rods.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The galleries were suffused with the tang of iron and old cum.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
It’s known as the cosmic microwave background, or CMB, and is made up of the light that was released when the hot, dense plasma that suffused the early universe cooled enough to form hydrogen atoms.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The name gets etched onto the bottom.—
Michael Howes,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The frustration was etched on Nikola Jokic’s face.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Community members picked up paintbrushes in Philadelphia's Gayborhood inside Voyeur Nightclub on Saturday to help bring a new mural honoring five LGBTQ+ trailblazers to life — an effort organizers say is rooted in both remembrance and representation.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Part of Cooper’s attraction to micro-dramas was rooted in feeling underserved by Western film and television.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a note to clients this week, UBS analyst Brian Meredith estimates Berkshire is trading at an 8% discount to its intrinsic value.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Muting the awe factor, this segment downgrades some of the movie’s intrinsic appeal.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Patriotism is a value that an IP-dependent tech company fighting Chinese rivals might well be happy to see inculcated in its employees.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
-
That’s true for Tamma in a different way – it’s inculcated in Tamma that no one will help her but that’s not true.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There's even a special entrance for the president and a dedicated holding room behind the stage with a presidential seal engraved on the floor.—
Tamara Keith,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Flip it over, the caseback is engraved with the own logo for Drake’s October’s Very Own (OVO) lifestyle brand and record label, making this a true pièce unique.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At that time, the red stop lights embedded in the taxiway in front of the truck were illuminated, indicating the truck should not proceed.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The probe follows Fortune’s March investigation into how Epstein embedded himself in Gates’ inner circle.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ingrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrained. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
