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Meaning & use

engulfed

verb·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ɪnˈɡʌlft/
US/ɪnˈɡʌlft/

“engulfed” is a form of “engulf”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive

    Completely surrounded or covered by something, especially a liquid, fire, or large mass.

    Grammar: Usually passive: be engulfed by/in something. The active form takes an object: The wave engulfed the boat.

    Patterns

    • be engulfed by something
    • be engulfed in something

    The small village was engulfed by the rising floodwaters.

    Flames engulfed the old factory within minutes.

    She felt engulfed by sadness after hearing the news.

  2. verbtransitivefigurative

    To overwhelm someone with an emotion or feeling, so they can think of nothing else.

    Grammar: Often passive: be engulfed by/with an emotion. The emotion is the subject in active use: Panic engulfed him.

    Patterns

    • be engulfed by emotion
    • be engulfed with emotion

    He was engulfed with guilt after lying to his parents.

    A sense of relief engulfed her when the exam was over.

Word forms

base formengulf
third person singularengulfs
past tenseengulfed
past participleengulfed
-ing formengulfing

Common combinations

be engulfed by flames
The building was engulfed by flames before firefighters arrived.
be engulfed in darkness
The room was engulfed in darkness when the power went out.
be engulfed with emotion
She was engulfed with emotion as she read the letter.
engulf a city
The tsunami engulfed the city, destroying thousands of homes.

Synonyms and how they differ

swallow
Suggests being taken in as if by a mouth; less common in passive descriptions of fire or water.
overwhelm
Focuses on the effect on a person's feelings or ability to cope, not physical covering.
submerge
Means to go completely under water; used for objects, not usually for emotions.

Word family

engulf verb
The base form, meaning to surround or cover completely.
engulfing adjective
Describing something that surrounds or overwhelms, e.g., an engulfing darkness.
engulfment noun
The act or state of being engulfed.

Commonly confused: engulfed or engulf?

engulfed vs engulf

This is the base form; 'engulfed' is the past tense or past participle.

Practice

The small boat was almost ___ by the huge wave.

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