immerse

[ ih-murs ]

verb (used with object)

, im·mersed, im·mers·ing.

1. to plunge into or place under a liquid; dip; sink.

   Synonyms: douse, duck, immerge

2. to involve deeply; absorb:

   She is totally immersed in her law practice.

   Synonyms: engage

3. to baptize by immersion.
4. to embed; bury.

   Antonyms: disinter

immerse

/ ɪˈmɜːs /

verb

1. often foll by in to plunge or dip into liquid
2. often passiveoften foll byin to involve deeply; engross

   to immerse oneself in a problem

3. to baptize by immersion

Derived Forms

• imˈmersible, adjective

Other Words From

• im·mersi·ble adjective
• reim·merse verb (used with object) reimmersed reimmersing

Word History and Origins

Origin of immerse¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin immersus “plunged, sunken into,” past participle of immergere “to dip, plunge, sink into”; immerge

Word History and Origins

Origin of immerse¹

C17: from Latin immergere, from im- (in) + mergere to dip

Synonym Study

See dip ¹.

Example Sentences

VR also appeals to a wider, more casual audience by immersing them in a virtual world without the same complexity more traditional games rely on.

From Washington Post

On one hand, they see realistic movement on the screen designed to make them feel immersed in the game.

From Popular-Science

Outside it, more bubble universes exist, all immersed in an eternally expanding and energized sea—the multiverse.

From Nautilus

Outside it, more bubble universes exist, all immersed in an eternally expanding and energized sea — the multiverse.

From Quanta Magazine

In-game video goals can help break you out of real-life thought patterns by providing external motivation to stay immersed in the game’s world.

From Popular-Science

Drain immediately and immerse the beans in ice water to stop the cooking.

From The Daily Beast

I felt like I wanted to just immerse myself in all things New York, and the Robert Moses story was like a magnet for me.

From The Daily Beast

The upshot is to immerse oneself in a crash course on institutional racism and police brutality.

From The Daily Beast

It was after she moved to the States to attend Harvard Law School that she began to fully immerse herself in the art world.

From The Daily Beast

Lanre Fehintola was a photojournalist determined to immerse himself in the lives of his subjects.

From The Daily Beast

While the prints are still wet, immerse them in a saturated solution of bichloride of mercury.

From Project Gutenberg

Opposite each room was a bath-tub and a large movable basin, so that a guest could take a sponge bath or immerse himself.

From Project Gutenberg

The Bohra agreed to this mode of proof, and it was determined that the coolie should immerse his hand in a vessel of boiling oil.

From Project Gutenberg

In this liquor immerse the whole plant, after the roots and leaves are trimmed for potting; and this is the whole matter.

From Project Gutenberg

"In so meritorious a cause this person is prepared to immerse himself to any depth," declared Tian readily.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• baptize
• bathe
• bury
• drench
• drown
• saturate
• soak
• steep