engulf

[ en-guhlf ]

verb (used with object)

1. to swallow up in or as in a gulf; submerge:

   The overflowing river has engulfed many small towns along its banks.

   Synonyms: swamp, deluge, inundate, bury, envelop

2. to plunge or immerse, as into a gulf:

   He engulfed himself in his studies.

engulf

/ ɪnˈɡʌlf /

verb

1. to immerse, plunge, bury, or swallow up
2. often passive to overwhelm

   engulfed by debts

Derived Forms

• enˈgulfment, noun

Other Words From

• en·gulfment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of engulf¹

First recorded in 1545–55; en- ¹ + gulf

Example Sentences

Dan MacNee stands among towering piles of boxes, papers, and creative projects that engulf his Edinburgh home.

From BBC

A second US option would be to pull its support completely, which would mean over time that Russian forces could eventually engulf the entire region and even more of Ukraine beyond it.

From BBC

The scale of this humanitarian crisis could be overwhelming, as extreme hunger threatens to engulf an entire population – nearly half of which are children.

From Salon

Game 3 starter and winner Walker Buehler then came out of the bullpen to throw a one-two-three ninth for the save, spreading his arms out wide after his game-ending strikeout of Alex Verdugo as teammates rushed in from their positions and out of the dugout to engulf the right-hander in one giant human embrace.

From Los Angeles Times

Morrison misses his late partner’s gigantic belly laugh that would engulf everything in its orbit.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bury
• consume
• encompass
• envelop
• flood
• immerse
• inundate
• overrun
• overwhelm
• plunge
• submerge
• swamp