engage
Verb
Verb Forms: engaged, engaging, engages
- To occupy or attract someone's attention or involvement.
- carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
- "They engaged in a discussion"
- consume all of one's attention or time
- engage or hire for work
- ask to represent; of legal counsel
- give to in marriage
- get caught
- "make sure the gear is engaged"
- carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)
- hire for work or assistance
- "engage aid, help, services, or support"
- engage for service under a term of contract
- keep engaged
- "engaged the gears"
- To interact socially.
- To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied.
- To interact socially.
- To draw into conversation.
- To interact socially.
- To attract, to please; (archaic) to fascinate or win over (someone).
- To interact antagonistically.
- To enter into conflict with (an enemy).
- To interact antagonistically.
- To enter into battle.
- To interact contractually.
- To arrange to employ or use (a worker, a space, etc.).
- To interact contractually.
- To guarantee or promise (to do something).
- To interact contractually.
- To bind through legal or moral obligation (to do something, especially to marry) (usually in passive).
- To interact contractually.
- To pledge, pawn (one's property); to put (something) at risk or on the line; to mortgage (houses, land).
- To interact mechanically.
- To mesh or interlock (of machinery, especially a clutch).
- To interact mechanically.
- To come into gear with.
- To entangle.
Examples
- A challenging Words With Friends opponent can truly ENGAGE your strategic thinking.
- They were engaged last month! They're planning to have the wedding next year.
- Whenever I engage the clutch, the car stalls out.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English engagen, from Old French engagier (“to pledge, engage”), from Frankish *anwadjōn (“to pledge”), from Proto-Germanic *an-, *andi- + Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge, secure”), from Proto-Germanic *wadją (“pledge, guarantee”), from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge, redeem a pledge; guarantee, bail”), equivalent to en- + gage. Cognate with Old English anwedd (“pledge, security”), Old English weddian (“to engage, covenant, undertake”), German wetten (“to bet, wager”), Icelandic veðja (“to wager”). More at wed.
Synonyms
absorb, affiance, betroth, charter, employ, engross, enlist, hire, lease, lock, mesh, occupy, operate, plight, prosecute, pursue, rent, take, wage
Scrabble Score: 8
engage: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordengage: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
engage: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary