occupy

When you spend a lot of your free time reading tea leaves, you occupy yourself with that pastime, meaning it takes up your time and keeps you busy.

An army can invade another country and occupy its territory, and this use of the word reflects its original Latin meaning, which was "to seize." There are also less aggressive forms of occupation, as with the family of chipmunks who occupy your garden. If you are the mayor of your town, you occupy an important office. And if you're a fan of Andy Warhol, a series of Campbell's soup can paintings may occupy a prominent place on your walls.

Primary Meanings of occupy

1.
 v
live (in a certain place)
2.
 v
march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation
Full Definitions of occupy
1

v live (in a certain place)

“he occupies two rooms on the top floor”
Synonyms:
lodge in, reside
Types:
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hide 4 types...
move in
occupy a place
stay at
reside temporarily
squat
occupy (a dwelling) illegally
crash
occupy, usually uninvited
Type of:
dwell, inhabit, live, populate
inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of

v occupy the whole of

Synonyms:
fill
Types:
crowd
fill or occupy to the point of overflowing
take up
take up time or space
Type of:
be
occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere

v require (time or space)

“This event occupied a very short time”
Synonyms:
take, use up
consume, deplete, eat, eat up, exhaust, run through, use up, wipe out
use up (resources or materials)
Types:
be
spend or use time
Type of:
expend, use
use up, consume fully

v assume, as of positions or roles

“he occupies the position of manager”
“the young prince will soon occupy the throne”
Synonyms:
fill, take
assume, strike, take, take up
occupy or take on
Type of:
do work, work
be employed

v keep busy with

Synonyms:
busy
Types:
potter, putter
work lightly
dabble, play around, smatter
work with in an amateurish manner
Type of:
work
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

v consume all of one's attention or time

Synonyms:
absorb, engage, engross
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

v be on the mind of

Synonyms:
concern, interest, worry
2

v march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation

Synonyms:
invade
Types:
infest, overrun
invade in great numbers
Type of:
assail, attack
launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with

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