absorb

verb

(transitive) To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up.

(transitive) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.

(intransitive) To be absorbed, or sucked in; to sink in.

(transitive, physics, chemistry) To take in energy and convert it.

(transitive, physics) in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil.

(transitive, physics) in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo.

(transitive, physics) taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat.

(transitive) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully.

(transitive) To occupy or consume time.

(transitive) To assimilate mentally.

(transitive, business) To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.

(transitive) To defray the costs.

(transitive) To accept or purchase in quantity.

(transitive, obsolete) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.

Roots

abab- · Latin · away from sorbeo-sorb · Latin · suck in

Synonyms for absorb

assimilatev imbibev engrossv ingestv immersev adsorbv sorbn digestv occupyv consumev swallowv metabolizev

Synonyms & related words for absorb

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of absorb — including assimilate, imbibe, engross, ingest, immerse, adsorb. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to absorb

Explore words related to absorb — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include ingulf, engulf, reabsorb, unabsorbed, superabsorbent, absorbable, suck, absorbefacient. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for absorb

Common synonyms for absorb include assimilate, imbibe, engross, ingest, immerse, adsorb, sorb, digest — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does absorb come from?

The word absorb breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: ab-, from Latin ab (“away from”); and -sorb, from Latin sorbeo (“suck in”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.