Engage

Full Definition of ENGAGE

transitive verb

1

: to offer (as one's word) as security for a debt or cause

2

a obsolete : to entangle or entrap in or as if in a snare or bog

b : to attract and hold by influence or power

c : to interlock with : mesh; also : to cause (mechanical parts) to mesh <engage the clutch>

3

: to bind (as oneself) to do something; especially : to bind by a pledge to marry

4

a : to provide occupation for : involve <engage him in a new project>

b : to arrange to obtain the use or services of : hire <engage a lawyer>

5

a : to hold the attention of : engross <her work engages her completely>

b : to induce to participate <engaged the shy boy in conversation>

6

a : to enter into contest or battle with <engage the enemy>

b : to bring together or interlock (weapons)

7

: to deal with especially at length

intransitive verb

1

a : to pledge oneself : promise

b : to make a guarantee <he engages for the honesty of his brother>

2

a : to begin and carry on an enterprise or activity —used with in <engaged in trade for many years>

b : to do or take part in something —used with in <engage in healthy activities> <engage in bad conduct>

c : to give attention to something : deal <failing to engage with the problem>

3

: to enter into conflict or battle

4

: to come together and interlock <the gears engaged>

See engage defined for English-language learners

See engage defined for kids

Origin of ENGAGE

Middle English, from Anglo-French engager, from en- + gage pledge, gage

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to ENGAGE

Synonyms: absorb, bemuse, busy, catch up, engross, enthrall (or enthral), enwrap, fascinate, grip, immerse, interest, intrigue, involve, occupy, catch one's eye

Antonyms: ax (or axe), can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

Rhymes with ENGAGE

backstage, birdcage, broad-gauge, coon's age, dark age, downstage, encage, enrage, forestage, front-page, greengage, ice age, Iron Age, new age, offstage, onstage, outrage, presage, rampage, rib cage, road rage, roll cage, soundstage, space-age, substage, teenage, thrust stage, uncage, upstage

Definition of ENGAGÉ

: committed to or supportive of a cause

Origin of ENGAGÉ

French, past participle of engager to engage

First Known Use: 1946

Rhymes with ENGAGÉ

Adige, A-OK, alleyway, All Fools' Day, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, all the way, anyway, appliqué, Arbor Day, arrivé, atelier, attaché, back away, ballonet, bang away, Bastille Day, Beaujolais, beta ray, beurre manié, BHA, blow away, botonée, Boxing Day, breakaway, break away, Bristol Bay, bustier, by the way, cabaret, cableway, Camagüey, canapé, cap-a-pie, Cape Cod Bay, caraway, carriageway, cassoulet, castaway, cathode ray, champlevé, chansonnier, chardonnay, Charolais, chevalier, china clay, cloisonné, cog railway, colorway, Condorcet, consommé, coryphée, cosmic ray, croupier, crudités, cutaway, day-to-day, debauchee, déclassé, dégagé, degree-day, delta ray, démodé, devotee, disarray, disobey, distingué, divorcé, divorcée, DNA, dollar day, double play, draw away, dress-down day, eagle ray, eightfold way, émigré, entranceway, entremets, entryway, espalier, everyday, exposé, expressway, fadeaway, fallaway, fall away, faraday, Faraday, faraway, fiancé, fiancée, fill away, fire away, flageolet, flyaway, foldaway, gal Friday, gamma ray, garde-manger, Georgian Bay, getaway, girl Friday, giveaway, give away, gratiné, gratinée, Greenaway, Groundhog Day, guillemet, Harare, hell to pay, Hemingway, hereaway, hideaway, hit the hay, HLA, holiday, holy day, Hornaday, Hudson Bay, Hugh Capet, Humboldt Bay, in a way, inter se, interplay, intraday, IPA, IRA, Ise Bay, judgment day, keep-away, kyrie, Labor Day, lackaday, latter-day, layaway, lay away, lingerie, macramé, Mandalay, manta ray, Massenet, matinee, medal play, meet halfway, MIA, Milky Way, Monterrey, Mother's Day, motorway, muscadet, mystery play, negligee, New Year's Day, New York Bay, Nicolet, night and day, Nottaway, off Broadway, Ojibwa, on the way, out of play, overlay, overplay, overstay, overweigh, Paraguay, passageway, pass away, passion play, pepper spray, Petare, photoplay, pikake, pis aller, play-by-play, plug-and-play, popinjay, potter's clay, pourparler, pousse-café, power play, present-day, protégé, protégée, pull away, put away, Put-in-Bay, Rabelais, rack railway, rainy-day, rambouillet, ratiné, recamier, recherché, reconvey, repartee, repoussé, résumé, retroussé, ricochet, right away, right-of-way, rockaway, roentgen ray, rondelet, roundelay, RNA, runaway, run away, Saguenay, salt away, San Jose, Santa Fe, São Tomé, Saturday, satyr play, semplice, Seventh-Day, severance pay, shadow play, sleepaway, sobriquet, sock away, sommelier, square away, steerageway, standaway, stowaway, straightaway, street railway, Table Bay, taboret, tarsier, taxiway, tearaway, tear away, teleplay, Tenebrae, thataway, throwaway, throw away, Thunder Bay, triple play, turn away, Udine, underlay, underpay, underplay, underway, Uruguay, velouté, Venite, vérité, vertebra, virelay, walkaway, Wang Ching-wei, waterway, wellaway, Whitsunday, workaday, working day, Yenisey, Zuider Zee

Definition of ENGAGE for Kids

1

: to catch and keep fixed (as someone's attention) <The story engaged my interest.>

2

: to take part in or cause to take part in something <He engages in many school activities.>

3

: to enter into contest or battle with <Soldiers engaged the enemy.>

4

: to arrange for the services or use of : employ <I suggest you engage a lawyer.>

5

: mesh <The gears engaged.>

Learn More About ENGAGE

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "engage"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "engage"

Nglish: Translation of "engage" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "engage" for Arabic speakers

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