What does "engaged" mean?
simple past and past participle of engage
Engaged
/ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒd/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: simple past and past participle of engage
- Grammar: engaged is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: absorbed, absorbed in, accessory, active.
- Useful contrasts: divorced, aboulic, absent energy.
- Usage evidence: The company engaged him as an advisor.
How to use "engaged"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "engaged" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "engaged" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "engaged" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "engaged" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "engaged" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absorbed" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "engaged", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 simple past and past participle of engage form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Having agreed to marry a particular person (one's fiancé or fiancée) or each other. not-comparable
- 2 Busy or employed. not-comparable
"Dig if you will the picture / Of you and I engaged in a kiss / The sweat of your body covers me / Can you my darling / Can you picture this?"
- 3 Greatly interested. not-comparable
- 4 (of a telephone) Already involved in a telephone call when a third party calls. British, not-comparable
"I tried calling, but she (or her phone) was engaged."
- 5 attached to a wall or sunk into it halfway not-comparable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 in contact and in operation not-comparable
- 7 being attacked or attacking not-comparable
- 8 Having the widest part of its presenting part, usually the head, enter the pelvic brim or inlet. not-comparable
- 9 Synonym of engagé (“passionately committed to a cause”). not-comparable
"Black and white women writers assumed their mantle as engaged writers, as cultural and political critics."
Adjective
- 1 pledged to be married wordnet
- 2 having ones attention or mind or energy engaged wordnet
- 3 built against or attached to a wall wordnet
- 4 having services contracted for wordnet
- 5 (used of toothed parts or gears) interlocked and interacting wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 involved in military hostilities wordnet
- 7 (of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; (‘engaged’ is a British term for a busy telephone line) wordnet
- 8 reserved in advance wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The company engaged him as an advisor."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "engaged"?
Common synonyms include: absorbed, absorbed in, accessory, active, active diseases, active student.
How do you use "engaged" in a sentence?
The company engaged him as an advisor.
How do you pronounce "engaged"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒd/.