What does "engross" mean?
To write (a document) in large, aesthetic, and legible lettering; to make a finalized copy of.
Engross
/ɪnˈɡɹəʊs/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To write (a document) in large, aesthetic, and legible lettering; to make a finalized copy of.
- Grammar: engross is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: absorb, engage, absorb, absorb the attention.
- Useful contrasts: bore, disengage, distract.
- Usage evidence: This envelope had the air of an official record of some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials than at present.
How to use "engross"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "engross" 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 "engross" 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 "engross" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "engross" 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 "engross" is acting as 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 "absorb" 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 "engross", 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 To write (a document) in large, aesthetic, and legible lettering; to make a finalized copy of. transitive
"This envelope had the air of an official record of some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials than at present."
- 2 consume all of one's attention or time wordnet
- 3 To buy up wholesale, especially to buy the whole supply of (a commodity etc.). obsolete, transitive
- 4 devote (oneself) fully to wordnet
- 5 To monopolize; to concentrate (something) in the single possession of someone, especially unfairly. transitive
"After which time the Popes of Rome, engroſſing what they pleas'd of Politicall rule into their owne hands, extended their dominion over mens eyes, as they had before over their judgements, burning and prohibiting to be read, what they fanſied not; […]"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To completely engage the attention of; to involve. transitive
"She seems to be completely engrossed in that book."
- 7 To thicken; to condense. obsolete, transitive
"As, when a foggy miſt hath ouercaſt / The face of heuen, and the cleare ayre engroſte, / The world in darkenes dwels, […]"
- 8 To make gross, thick, or large; to thicken; to increase in bulk or quantity. obsolete, transitive
"The waues thereof ſo ſlow and ſluggiſh were, / Engroſt with mud, which did them fowle agriſe, / That euery weighty thing they did vpbeare, / Ne ought mote euer ſinck downe to the bottom there."
- 9 To amass. obsolete
"Percy is but my factor, good my Lord, / To engroſſe vp glorious deeds on my behalfe."
Example
"This envelope had the air of an official record of some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials than at present."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "engross"?
Common synonyms include: absorb, engage, absorb, absorb the attention, absorbed, absorbing.
How do you use "engross" in a sentence?
This envelope had the air of an official record of some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials than at present.
How do you pronounce "engross"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈɡɹəʊs/.
Etymology
From Middle English engrossen, from Anglo-Norman engrosser (“to gather in large quantities, draft something in final form”); partly from the phrase en gros (“in bulk, in quantity, at wholesale”), from en- + gros; and partly from Medieval Latin ingrossō (“thicken, write something large and in bold lettering”, v.), from in- + grossus (“great, big, thick”), from Old High German grōz (“big, thick, coarse”), from Proto-West Germanic *graut, from Proto-Germanic *grautaz (“large, great, thick, coarse grained, unrefined”), from Proto-Indo-European *ghrewə- (“to fell, put down, fall in”). More at in-, gross. By surface analysis, en- + gross.