ingrained

[ in-greynd, in-greynd ]

adjective

1. firmly fixed; deep-rooted; inveterate:

   ingrained superstition.

2. wrought into or through the grain or fiber.

ingrained

/ ɪnˈɡreɪnɪdlɪ; ɪnˈɡreɪnd /

adjective

1. deeply impressed or instilled

   his fears are deeply ingrained

2. prenominal complete or inveterate; utter

   an ingrained fool

3. (esp of dirt) worked into or through the fibre, grain, pores, etc

Derived Forms

• ingrainedly, adverb
• inˈgrainedness, noun

Other Words From

• in·grain·ed·ly [in-, grey, -nid-lee, -, greynd, -], adverb
• in·grained·ness noun
• unin·grained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingrained¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; ingrain + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year, a wave of protests against racial inequality swept around the globe, shining a spotlight on deeply ingrained issues of systemic racism.

From Fortune

We should push to ensure diversity and inclusion stay ingrained in our workplaces and in our lives.

From Fortune

But, overcoming institutional bias and gender discrimination is an ingrained and even structural problem that will take concerted effort over a period of years to overcome.

From Search Engine Land

Pope’s conviction, embedded in social philosophy, remains ingrained in our culture today.

From Nautilus

Twitter’s security incident emphasizes that companies need to create a culture of privacy, where it become ingrained into how employees think about everyday tasks, Turku said.

From Digiday

These are palpable, identifiable matters that are ingrained into the very fabric of The Babadook.

From The Daily Beast

These studies only speak to one of our ingrained mental habits that make us particularly susceptible to religious belief.

From The Daily Beast

Polling is ingrained in American politics, but it does not come without its problems.

From The Daily Beast

For a millennium—from the 10th to 20th centuries—the practice flourished on and off, deeply ingrained in Chinese society.

From The Daily Beast

This was before any knowledge of safer sex was ingrained in the culture.

From The Daily Beast

On these occasions he was wrapped in an old blanket ingrained with snuff.

From Project Gutenberg

Only the plainsman's ingrained horror of throwing away a chance held them, shivering pitiably, to their places.

From Project Gutenberg

And as these were fast or durable colours we have such phrases as ‘to dye in grain,’ ‘a rogue in grain,’ ‘an ingrained habit.’

From Project Gutenberg

Perhaps it is no better than an ingrained and superstitious habit.

From Project Gutenberg

The chieftain's self-confidence was so ingrained and deeply set that he could not doubt his own triumph.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deep-seated
• fixed
• implanted
• inbred
• inherent
• innate
• intrinsic
• rooted