absorb

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absorb

assimilate; consume; soak up: A sponge absorbs water.

Not to be confused with:

adsorb – gather a substance on a surface: Charcoal will adsorb gasses.

ab·sorb

(əb-zôrb′, -sôrb′)

tr.v. ab·sorbed, ab·sorb·ing, ab·sorbs

1. To take (something) in through or as through pores or interstices.

a. To occupy the attention, interest, or time of; engross: The problem completely absorbed her. See Synonyms at engross.

b. To take up or occupy (one's time or interest, for example).

3. To retain (radiation or sound, for example) wholly, without reflection or transmission.

4. To take in; assimilate: immigrants who were absorbed into the social mainstream.

5. To learn; acquire: "Matisse absorbed the lesson and added to it a new language of color" (Peter Plagen).

6. To receive (an impulse) without echo or recoil: a fabric that absorbs sound; a bumper that absorbs impact.

7. To assume or pay for (a cost or costs).

8. To endure; accommodate: couldn't absorb the additional hardships.

9. To use up; consume: The project has absorbed all of our department's resources.

[Middle English, to swallow up, from Old French absorber, from Latin absorbēre : ab-, away; see ab-¹ + sorbēre, to suck.]

ab·sorb′a·bil′i·ty n.

ab·sorb′a·ble adj.

ab·sorb′ed·ly adv.

ab·sorb′er n.

ab·sorb′ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

absorb

(əbˈsɔːb; -ˈzɔːb)

vb (tr)

1. to soak or suck up (liquids)

2. to engage or occupy (the interest, attention, or time) of (someone); engross

3. to receive or take in (the energy of an impact)

4. (General Physics) physics to take in (all or part of incident radiated energy) and retain the part that is not reflected or transmitted

5. to take in or assimilate; incorporate

6. to accept and find a market for (goods, etc)

7. to pay for as part of a commercial transaction: the distributor absorbed the cost of transport.

8. (Chemistry) chem to cause to undergo a process in which one substance, usually a liquid or gas, permeates into or is dissolved by a liquid or solid: porous solids absorb water; hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide. Compare adsorb

[C15: via Old French from Latin absorbēre to suck, swallow, from ab-¹ + sorbēre to suck]

abˌsorbaˈbility n

abˈsorbable adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ab•sorb

(æbˈsɔrb, -ˈzɔrb)

v.t.

1. to suck up (a liquid); soak up: A sponge absorbs water.

2. to take in and assimilate; incorporate: The empire absorbed many nations.

3. to involve the full attention of; engross: This book will absorb the serious reader.

4. to occupy or fill (time, attention, etc.).

5. to assimilate by chemical or molecular action.

6. to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection: to absorb shock; to absorb sound.

7. to take in and utilize: to absorb information.

8. to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.).

9. Archaic. to swallow up.

[1480–90; < Latin absorbēre=ab- ab- + sorbēre to suck in, swallow]

ab•sorb′a•ble, adj.

ab•sorb`a•bil′i•ty, n.

ab•sorb′er, n.

absorb

Past participle: absorbed
Gerund: absorbing

Imperative
absorb
absorb

Present
I absorb
you absorb
he/she/it absorbs
we absorb
you absorb
they absorb

Preterite
I absorbed
you absorbed
he/she/it absorbed
we absorbed
you absorbed
they absorbed

Present Continuous
I am absorbing
you are absorbing
he/she/it is absorbing
we are absorbing
you are absorbing
they are absorbing

Present Perfect
I have absorbed
you have absorbed
he/she/it has absorbed
we have absorbed
you have absorbed
they have absorbed

Past Continuous
I was absorbing
you were absorbing
he/she/it was absorbing
we were absorbing
you were absorbing
they were absorbing

Past Perfect
I had absorbed
you had absorbed
he/she/it had absorbed
we had absorbed
you had absorbed
they had absorbed

Future
I will absorb
you will absorb
he/she/it will absorb
we will absorb
you will absorb
they will absorb

Future Perfect
I will have absorbed
you will have absorbed
he/she/it will have absorbed
we will have absorbed
you will have absorbed
they will have absorbed

Future Continuous
I will be absorbing
you will be absorbing
he/she/it will be absorbing
we will be absorbing
you will be absorbing
they will be absorbing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been absorbing
you have been absorbing
he/she/it has been absorbing
we have been absorbing
you have been absorbing
they have been absorbing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been absorbing
you will have been absorbing
he/she/it will have been absorbing
we will have been absorbing
you will have been absorbing
they will have been absorbing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been absorbing
you had been absorbing
he/she/it had been absorbing
we had been absorbing
you had been absorbing
they had been absorbing

Conditional
I would absorb
you would absorb
he/she/it would absorb
we would absorb
you would absorb
they would absorb

Past Conditional
I would have absorbed
you would have absorbed
he/she/it would have absorbed
we would have absorbed
you would have absorbed
they would have absorbed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	absorb - become imbued; "The liquids, light, and gases absorb" chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions reabsorb, resorb - undergo resorption imbibe, assimilate - take (gas, light or heat) into a solution sorb, take up - take up a liquid or a gas either by adsorption or by absorption
	2.	absorb - take up mentally; "he absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe" assimilate, ingest, take in larn, learn, acquire - gain knowledge or skills; "She learned dancing from her sister"; "I learned Sanskrit"; "Children acquire language at an amazing rate" imbibe - receive into the mind and retain; "Imbibe ethical principles"
	3.	absorb - take up, as of debts or payments; "absorb the costs for something" take over fund - furnish money for; "The government funds basic research in many areas"
	4.	absorb - take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words" imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck up, suck, take up, take in, draw mop, mop up, wipe up - to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop; "Mop the hallway now"; "He mopped her forehead with a towel" blot - dry (ink) with blotting paper sponge up - absorb as if with a sponge; "sponge up the spilled milk on the counter"
	5.	absorb - cause to become one with; "The sales tax is absorbed into the state income tax" coalesce, conflate, fuse, immix, mix, merge, commingle, blend, meld, flux, combine - mix together different elements; "The colors blend well"
	6.	absorb - suck or take up or in; "A black star absorbs all matter" take in suck in, suck - attract by using an inexorable force, inducement, etc.; "The current boom in the economy sucked many workers in from abroad" give out, emit, give off - give off, send forth, or discharge; as of light, heat, or radiation, vapor, etc.; "The ozone layer blocks some harmful rays which the sun emits"
	7.	absorb - devote (oneself) fully to; "He immersed himself into his studies" engross, engulf, steep, soak up, immerse, plunge immerse, plunge - cause to be immersed; "The professor plunged his students into the study of the Italian text" focus, pore, rivet, center, centre, concentrate - direct one's attention on something; "Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies" drink in, drink - be fascinated or spell-bound by; pay close attention to; "The mother drinks in every word of her son on the stage"
	8.	absorb - assimilate or take in; "The immigrants were quickly absorbed into society" receive, take in, invite - express willingness to have in one's home or environs; "The community warmly received the refugees"
	9.	absorb - consume all of one's attention or time; "Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely" engage, engross, occupy involve - occupy or engage the interest of; "His story completely involved me during the entire afternoon" consume - engage fully; "The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy" rivet - hold (someone's attention); "The discovery of the skull riveted the paleontologists" interest - excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of

absorb

verb

1. soak up, drink in, devour, suck up, receive, digest, imbibe, ingest, osmose Refined sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly.

2. assimilate, take in, incorporate, accommodate, homogenize, intermix an economy capable of absorbing thousands of immigrants

3. cushion, suppress, soften, pillow, bolster, stifle, dampen, muffle, buttress, deaden footwear to absorb the impact of a hard pavement

4. consume, use, use up, spend, waste, employ, drain, exhaust, squander, utilize, expend, eat up, fritter away The campaign absorbed vast amounts of capital.

5. engross, hold, involve, fill, arrest, fix, occupy, engage, fascinate, preoccupy, engulf, fill up, immerse, rivet, captivate, monopolize, enwrap a second career which absorbed her more completely than acting ever had

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

absorb

verb

1. To take in (moisture or liquid):

drink, imbibe, soak (up), sop up, take up.

2. To occupy the full attention of:

consume, engross, immerse, monopolize, preoccupy.

3. To take in and incorporate, especially mentally:

assimilate, digest, imbibe, take up.

Informal: soak (up).

Translations

يَمْتَصْ، يَتَشَرب

pohltitvsát

absorberefordybeopslugeopsugeoptage

absorbieren aufsaugen aushalten beschäftigen ertragen

απορροφώ αφομοιώνω

absorber absorto chupar

neelduma

imeäomaksua

absorber accaparer captiver éponger

elmerülfelszív

drekka í sigupptekinn

assorbire assorto assumersi avvincente fagocitare

sugeriamasissugėrimassugertiužvaldyti

absorbētsaistītuzsūkt

absorberenimeäondergaan

absorbere suge

absorver

абсорбировать вбирать поглощать впитывать поглотить

vpiťzahĺbiť sa

sprejetivpiti

förbrukakonsumera

emmektüm ilgi ve dikkatini çekmek

使专心致志于吸收

absorb

[əbˈzɔːb] VT

1. [+ liquid] → absorber; [+ heat, sound, shock, vibrations, radiation] → amortiguar

2. (fig) [+ information] → asimilar; [+ time, energy] → ocupar, absorber
the business absorbs most of his time → el negocio absorbe or le lleva la mayor parte de su tiempo
the parent company absorbs the losses made by the subsidiary → la empresa matriz absorbe las pérdidas de la filial
the country absorbed 1,000 refugees → el país dio entrada a or acogió a 1.000 refugiados

3. (= engross) to be absorbed in → estar absorto en, estar ensimismado con
she was absorbed in a book → estaba absorta en or ensimismada con un libro
to get absorbed in → centrarse or meterse de lleno en

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

absorb

[əbˈzɔː^rb] vt

(= soak up) [+ liquid, heat, light, water, carbon dioxide] → absorber

[+ impact, shock] → amortir

(= assimilate) [+ group, business] → absorber
Small businesses are being absorbed by larger ones → Les petites entreprises sont en train d'être absorbées par les plus grosses.

(= cope with) [+ effects, losses] → absorber
We can't absorb those costs → Nous ne pouvons absorber ces coûts.

(= take in) [+ information, details] → assimiler; [+ atmosphere] → s'imprégner de

absorb

vt → absorbieren, aufnehmen; liquid also → aufsaugen; knowledge, news also → in sich (acc) → aufnehmen; vibration → auffangen, absorbieren; shock → dämpfen; light, sound → absorbieren, schlucken; people, firm → absorbieren, integrieren (→ into in +acc); costs etc → tragen; one’s time → in Anspruch nehmen; she absorbs things quickly → sie hat eine rasche Auffassungsgabe; to be absorbed in a book etc → in ein Buch etc vertieft or versunken sein; to get absorbed in a book etc → sich in ein Buch etc vertiefen; she was completely absorbed in her family/job → sie ging völlig in ihrer Familie/Arbeit auf

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

absorb

[əbˈsɔːb] vt (also fig) → assorbire; (costs) → ammortizzare; (information) → assimilare
she was absorbed in a book → era immersa or assorta nella lettura di un libro

absorb

(əbˈzoːb) verb

1. to soak up. The cloth absorbed the ink I had spilled.

2. to take up the whole attention of (a person). He was completely absorbed in his book.

abˈsorbent adjective

able to soak up. absorbent paper.

abˈsorption (-ˈzoːp-) noun

ab·sorb

vt. absorber, sorber, chupar.

absorb

vt absorber

References in classic literature ?

The lungs absorb the oxygen, which is indispensable for the support of life, and reject the nitrogen.

View in context

For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation.

View in context

The little river which turned sharply in its course, and was thus immediately lost to sight, seemed to have no exit from its prison, but to be absorbed by the deep green foliage of the trees to the east -- while in the opposite quarter (so it appeared to me as I lay at length and glanced upward) there poured down noiselessly and continuously into the valley, a rich golden and crimson waterfall from the sunset fountains of the sky.

View in context

The white light strikes against it, and, with one exception, all its component colors--violet, indigo, green, yellow, orange, and red--are absorbed. The one exception is BLUE.

View in context

Anna was absorbed the whole morning in preparations for her departure.

View in context

Absorbed as I was in the one idea of getting to London, this information (which events proved to be perfectly correct) had an interest of its own to attract my attention.

View in context

I admit that I was absorbed by the distant view, so absorbed that I didn't notice then that the motif of the story is almost identical with the motif of "The Lagoon." However, the idea at the back is very different; but the story is mainly made memorable to me by the fact that it was my first contribution to "Blackwood's Magazine" and that it led to my personal acquaintance with Mr.

View in context

There sat Magdalen, in an arm-chair before the long looking-glass, with all her hair let down over her shoulders; absorbed in the study of her part and comfortably arrayed in her morning wrapper, until it was time to dress for dinner.

View in context

I gave up, at length, all care of things within the hotel, and became absorbed in contemplation of the scene without.

View in context

While the worthy Frenchman was absorbed in the state of the sky and the depression of the temperature, Aouda was experiencing fears from a totally different cause.

View in context

Madame de Villefort emptied the contents into the ashes, which she disturbed that they might the more readily absorb the liquid; then she carefully rinsed the glass, and wiping it with her handkerchief replaced it on the table.

View in context

It may be that in order to realise the romance of life you must have something of the actor in you; and, capable of standing outside yourself, you must be able to watch your actions with an interest at once detached and absorbed. But no one was more single-minded than Strickland.