engaged

1. 1
   adjective

   Having promised to marry someone, often with a ring and wedding plans.

   My sister is engaged to a man she met in college.

   They got engaged last summer and will marry in the spring.

   Similarbetrothed, affianced

2. 2
   adjective

   Busy doing something, so not free to do anything else.

   The manager is engaged in a meeting right now.

   I can't come on Saturday because I'm engaged all day.

   Similarbusy, occupied, involved

   Oppositefree, idle, available

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   Very interested in something and giving it your full attention.

   The students were so engaged in the story that no one noticed the bell.

   Kids stay more engaged when the game lets them make choices.

   Similarinvolved, interested, attentive, absorbed

   Oppositedisengaged, uninterested, apathetic, indifferent

4. 4
   adjective

   Connected and working together, as when one machine part locks into another.

   Like two puzzle pieces that fit together so they move as one.

   The car will only move when the gears are engaged.

   Make sure the lock is fully engaged before you leave the house.

   Similaractive, on, connected

   Oppositedisengaged, off, inactive

5. 5
   adjectiveBritish

   Describes a phone line already in use, so other callers cannot get through.

   I rang Mum twice, but her line was engaged both times.

   The doctor's number was engaged all morning, so I went to the surgery instead.

   Similarbusy

   Oppositefree

   Note
6. 6
   verb

   Simple past tense and past participle of engage. Use this form to talk about something that already happened or has been done.

   The teacher engaged the class with a funny story.

   We engaged a guide to show us around the city.

   Note
7. 7
   adjective

   Fighting an enemy, or being attacked by one.

   The soldiers were engaged with enemy forces near the river.

   Our planes are engaged and need backup right now.

   Similarinvolved, locked

   Oppositedisengaged

   Note
8. 8
   adjective

   Caring deeply about a cause and working hard to support it.

   She's an engaged activist who spends every weekend at the food bank.

   Engaged citizens showed up to every city council meeting this year.

   Similarcommitted, activist, partisan

   Oppositedetached, neutral, disengaged, apolitical

   Note
9. 9
   adjective

   Attached to a wall, or partly sunk into it.

   Like a bookshelf built into a wall: part of the wall, not a separate piece of furniture.

   The engaged columns along the wall look like full pillars but cannot stand alone.

   The builders set engaged columns into the long wall of the temple.

   Similarattached, applied

   Oppositefreestanding, detached

   Note
10. 10
    adjective

    Describes an unborn baby that has moved down into the mother's pelvis, ready for birth.

    The midwife said the baby was engaged and could arrive any day.

    Once the baby is engaged, many mothers feel pressure lower in the belly.

    Note

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