absorb

/əbˈzɔrb/

/əbˈzɔb/

Other forms: absorbed; absorbing; absorbs

To absorb is to take in or suck up like a sponge. If you don't hear your mother calling because you are reading, you could say you were absorbed in the book.

If your parents buy groceries for a party you are throwing and don't make you pay, you could say that they decided to absorb the cost of the food. Young minds absorb information easily. The word, absorbent, describes something that is capable of absorbing something else. When you go swimming on a chilly day, it's best to carry an absorbent towel so that all of the water is absorbed from the surface of your skin.

Definitions of absorb
  1. verb
    take in a liquid
    “The sponge absorbs water well”
    synonyms: draw, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck, suck up, take in, take up
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    types:
    show 5 types...
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    mop, mop up, wipe up
    to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop
    blot
    dry (ink) with blotting paper
    sponge up
    absorb as if with a sponge
    swab, swob
    wash with a swab or a mop
    sponge
    soak up with a sponge
  2. verb
    suck or take up or in
    “A black star absorbs all matter”
    synonyms: take in
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    Antonyms:
    emit, give off, give out
    give off, send forth, or discharge; as of light, heat, or radiation, vapor, etc.
    types:
    suck, suck in
    attract by using an inexorable force, inducement, etc.
  3. verb
    assimilate or take in
    “The immigrants were quickly absorbed into society”
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    type of:
    invite, receive, take in
    express willingness to have in one's home or environs
  4. verb
    take up, as of debts or payments
    “absorb the costs for something”
    synonyms: take over
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    type of:
    fund
    furnish money for
  5. verb
    become imbued
    “The liquids, light, and gases absorb”
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    types:
    reabsorb, resorb
    undergo resorption
    assimilate, imbibe
    take (gas, light or heat) into a solution
    type of:
    sorb, take up
    take up a liquid or a gas either by adsorption or by absorption
  6. verb
    take up mentally
    “he absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe”
    synonyms: assimilate, ingest, take in
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    types:
    imbibe
    receive into the mind and retain
    type of:
    acquire, larn, learn
    gain knowledge or skills
  7. verb
    consume all of one's attention or time
    “Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely”
    synonyms: engage, engross, occupy
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    types:
    involve
    occupy or engage the interest of
    consume
    engage fully
    rivet
    hold (someone's attention)
    type of:
    interest
    excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of
  8. verb
    devote (oneself) fully to
    synonyms: engross, engulf, immerse, plunge, soak up, steep
    immerse, plunge
    cause to be immersed
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    types:
    drink, drink in
    be fascinated or spell-bound by; pay close attention to
    type of:
    center, centre, concentrate, focus, pore, rivet
    direct one's attention on something
  9. verb
    cause to become one with
    “The sales tax is absorbed into the state income tax”
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    type of:
    blend, coalesce, combine, commingle, conflate, flux, fuse, immix, meld, merge, mix
    mix together different elements
Pronunciation
US

/əbˈzɔrb/
UK

/əbˈzɔb/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘absorb'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing absorb

Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2

On the ACT Reading Test, you'll encounter questions that ask you to determine the meanings of common words in context. We've identified 170 high-frequency, multiple-meaning words of the sort that you'll see on the exam. As you practice this list, you'll have to rely on context clues in order to determine each word’s meaning in a particular sentence. Be careful! Several of a word's meanings might show up as answer choices — but only one answer will capture the meaning of the word in the context of the sentence.

Catching the Light, Part 1

The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2

On the ACT Reading Test, you'll encounter questions that ask you to determine the meanings of common words in context. We've identified 200 high-frequency, multiple-meaning words of the sort that you'll see on the exam. As you practice this list, you'll have to rely on context clues in order to determine each word’s meaning in a particular sentence. Be careful! Several of a word's meanings might show up as answer choices — but only one answer will capture the meaning of the word in the context of the sentence.

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