Meaning & use

caught up

adjective·Everyday

Deeply absorbed or emotionally involved in something, often losing awareness of everything else.

See it in a sentence

She got so caught up in the novel that she missed her train stop.

The two of them were too caught up in the argument to notice the time.

A note on using this word

'Caught up' can also mean up to date, as in 'caught up on emails', a different, unrelated sense worth distinguishing.

Words with a similar meaning

absorbedengrossed

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. phrase

Up to date with tasks or information that had built up over time.

After the vacation, it took him two full days to get caught up on emails.

Make it your own

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