absorb

verb
UK: /əbˈzɔːb/
US: /əbˈzɔːrb/

  1. To take in or soak up (a liquid, gas, or other substance).

    1. The sponge will absorb the spill. [ ] [ ]
    2. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis which can clean our air. [ ] [ ]

  2. To understand or learn information fully.

    1. I need time to absorb all this new information. [ ] [ ]
    2. It's hard to absorb so much information in one sitting, so take regular breaks. [ ] [ ]

  3. To reduce the effect of a force, shock, or change.

    1. The foam will absorb the impact. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company was not strong enough to absorb such a sudden increase in costs during production. [ ] [ ]

  4. To completely engage someone's attention; to fascinate.

    1. The book totally absorbed me. [ ] [ ]
    2. The intricate plot of the movie was so good that it quickly absorbed the whole audience. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

assimilate engross soak up learn understand captivate
absorb transitive-verb

  1. To take in something such as knowledge, ideas, or culture into the mind and understand it.

    1. Children absorb new languages quickly. [ ] [ ]
    2. She spent years living abroad, absorbing the local culture and incorporating it into her art. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "absorb" in English means: To take in or soak up (a liquid, gas, or other substance)., To understand or learn information fully., To reduce the effect of a force, shock, or change., To completely engage someone's attention; to fascinate..

The phonetic transcription of "absorb" is /əbˈzɔːb/ in British English and /əbˈzɔːrb/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "absorb": assimilate, engross, soak up, learn, understand, captivate.

Example usage of "absorb": "The sponge will absorb the spill.". More examples on the page.