Dictionary

absorb en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /æbˈsɔɹb/ (General-American)
• /əbˈzɔɹb/ (General-American)
• /əbˈsɔːb/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əbˈsɔɹb/ (General-American)
• /æbˈzɔɹb/ (General-American)
• /əbˈzɔːb/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle French absorber, from Old French assorbir, from Latin absorbeō (“swallow up”), from ab- (“from”) + sorbeō (“suck in, swallow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- (“to sip”). Compare French absorber.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up.
   • Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all. 1782, William Cowper, On Observing some Names of Little Note:
   • In some countries, the large cities absorb the wealth and fashion of the nation; they are the only fixed abodes of elegant and intelligent society, and the country is inhabited almost entirely by boorish peasantry. 1819 July 31, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Rural Life in England”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number II, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 124:
   • As a microbullet impacts the graphene, the diameter of the cone it creates – determined by later examination of the petals – provides a way to measure how much energy the graphene absorbs before breaking. 2014 December 1, Mike Williams, “Microbullet hits confirm graphene’s strength”, in Rice University:
   • Wages absorbed 80% of the total revenue (which was inescapable), and they were rising at almost twice the rate of fares, which were pegged by law. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 51:
2. (obsolete, transitive) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.
   • to be absorpt, or swallowed up, in a lake of fire and brimstone. 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, The Sacred Theory of the Earth:
3. (transitive) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.
4. (intransitive) To be absorbed, or sucked in; to sink in.
   • The drops of water slowly absorbed into the dry sponge.
5. (transitive) To take in energy and convert it.
   • Heat, light, and electricity are absorbed in the substances into which they pass.
6. (transitive) To take in energy and convert it. ▸ in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil.
7. (transitive) To take in energy and convert it. ▸ in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo.
8. (transitive) To take in energy and convert it. ▸ taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat.
9. (transitive) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully.
   • Livonian affairs held him tight, and were to absorb him for many a year. 1904, Kazimierz Waliszewski, translated by Lady Mary Loyd, Ivan the Terrible, Part 2 Chapter 3:
   • Geeka was cooking dinner. As the little girl played she prattled continuously to her companion, propped in a sitting position with a couple of twigs. She was totally absorbed in the domestic duties of Geeka – so much so that she did not note the gentle swaying of the branches of the tree above her as they bent to the body of the creature that had entered them stealthily from the jungle. 1915 December 4 – 1916 January 8, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter VIII, in The Son of Tarzan, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published March 1917, →OCLC, page 103:
10. (transitive) To occupy or consume time.
11. (transitive) To assimilate mentally.
    • If we fail to absorb the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat them.
12. (transitive) To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.
    • Among the most debatable is the contention that the profit margins of small employers are insufficient to absorb the costs of health insurance 2006, Gunnar Almgren, Health Care Politics, Policy, and Services: A Social Justice Analysis:
13. (transitive) To defray the costs.
    • I’ll absorb the charge for the window replacement.
14. (transitive) To accept or purchase in quantity.

Forms

Antonyms

emit (antonym(s) of)

Deriveds

overabsorb · absorption · reabsorb · absorb oneself in · absorbable · X-ray absorbing glass · preabsorb · bioabsorb · absorptive · absorbent · absorbefacient · absorbate · misabsorb · absorbability · absorbance

Relateds

adsorb

Synonyms

steep (to suck up or drink in) · soak up (to suck up or drink in) · immerse (to occupy fully) · suck (to suck up or drink in) · monopolize (to occupy fully) · use up (to consume completely) · assume (finance: to assume or pay for) · engage (to occupy fully) · overwhelm (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · pay for · take in (to suck up or drink in) · sop up (to suck up or drink in) · incorporate (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · assimilate (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · suck up (to suck up or drink in) · occupy (to occupy fully) · engross (to occupy fully) · drink in (to suck up or drink in) · eat · bear · imbibe (to suck up or drink in) · take up (to suck up or drink in) · swallow up (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · draw (to suck up or drink in) · engulf (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · take in

Translations (305)

sv uppsluka (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · xqa اِجْماكْ (to suck up or drink in) · hu elnyel ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · fi absorboida ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · sh apsorbovati (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu lefoglal (to occupy fully) · sv absorbera (to endure) · pl pochłaniać (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru поглоти́ть (to suck up or drink in) · hu kifizet (finance: to assume or pay for) · id serap (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · nl absorberen (to suck up or drink in) · da absorbere (to suck up or drink in) · hu elmélyed (to occupy fully) · uk вбра́ти (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ar تَشَرَّبَ (to suck up or drink in) · nl verteren (to assimilate mentally) · ru всоса́ть (to suck up or drink in) · sv fånga upp (to suck up or drink in) · ru поглоти́ть (to occupy fully) · uk поглина́ти (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · pt aderir (finance: to assume or pay for) · ro absorbi (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu befog ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · pt absorver (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · gd deoghail (to suck up or drink in) · nl opgebruiken (to consume completely) · cs vstřebat (to suck up or drink in) · fi imaista (momentane) (to suck up or drink in) · de aufbrauchen (to consume completely) · sv bestrida (finance: to assume or pay for) · pt absorver (to occupy fully) · th ซึมซับ (to assimilate mentally) · cmn 吸入 (to suck up or drink in) · uk вбира́ти (to suck up or drink in) · ka შეწოვა ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · no absorbere (to assimilate mentally) · fi imeä (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · no absorbere (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · vi hấp thụ (to consume completely) · nl absorberen (to assimilate mentally) · zu -munca (to suck up or drink in) · hu igénybe vesz (to occupy fully) · he ספג (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · nl in last nemen (finance: to assume or pay for) · ja 吸収する (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ar قَاسَى (to endure) · sv suga upp (to suck up or drink in) · fi kantaa (finance: to assume or pay for) · da optage (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · eo absorbiĝi (to be absorbed) · cmn 完全吸收 (to consume completely) · el απορροφώ (to suck up or drink in) · hu beiszik (to suck up or drink in) · hu felszív ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · no absorbere ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · hy կլանել (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru вбира́ть (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu átvállal (finance: to assume or pay for) · grc ἀναπίνω (to suck up or drink in) · cmn 吸收 (to assimilate mentally) · sv fängsla (to occupy fully) · fi omaksua (to assimilate mentally) · bg абсорбирам ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · pt absorver (to suck up or drink in) · uk абсорбува́ти (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hy կլանել (to suck up or drink in) · cs vstřebat (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · nl consumeren (to consume completely) · af absorbeer (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu tompít ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · pl zaabsorbować (to occupy fully) · ar اِتَّخَذَ ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ga súigh (to suck up or drink in) · cs absorbovat (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu abszorbeál ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ru впи́тывать ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · tr absorbe etmek ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · hu elnyel (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · pl absorbować (to consume completely) · ar اِسْتَنْفَدَ (to consume completely) · nl absorberen (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · zu -munya (to suck up or drink in) · sv påtaga sig (finance: to assume or pay for) · ca absorbir (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu megfizet (finance: to assume or pay for) · hu leköt (to occupy fully) · uk вбра́ти (to suck up or drink in) · fr absorber (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · pt absorver (to assimilate mentally) · hu felfog ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · it assorbire (to suck up or drink in) · de aushalten (to endure) · sv tillgodogöra sig (to assimilate mentally) · uk погли́нути (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · fi niellä (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ja 負担する (finance: to assume or pay for) · ru впи́тывать (to assimilate mentally) · sa पिबति (to suck up or drink in) · it incorporare (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · gl absorber (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · uk абсорбува́ти (to suck up or drink in) · mi mimiti (to suck up or drink in) · de fesseln (to occupy fully) · ota چكمك (to suck up or drink in) · no absorbere (to suck up or drink in) · ar شَغَلَ (to occupy fully) · no oppsluke (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · grc συμπίνω (to suck up or drink in) · sv uppsluka (to occupy fully) · pl pochłaniać (to occupy fully) · ja 処理する (to consume completely) · fr éponger (to suck up or drink in) · hu beszív ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ru вобра́ть ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · sv engagera (to occupy fully) · af absorbeer (to suck up or drink in) · ru вбира́ть (to assimilate mentally) · ru впита́ть (to suck up or drink in) · nl laten doordringen (to assimilate mentally) · sv absorbera (finance: to assume or pay for) · nl overnemen (finance: to assume or pay for) · sv uppta ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ar اِسْتَوْعَبَ (to assimilate mentally) · uk поглина́ти (to suck up or drink in) · hy աբսորբել (to suck up or drink in) · ja 吸収する (to occupy fully) · hu elsajátít (to assimilate mentally) · de aufsaugen (to suck up or drink in) · pl wchłonąć (to consume completely) · he שקע (to occupy fully) · nl in beslag nemen (to occupy fully) · kw dena (to suck up or drink in) · af opsuig (to suck up or drink in) · cmn 忍耐 (to endure) · uk вбира́ти (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ar اِتَّسَعَ (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · no oppsluke (to occupy fully) · fi imeä (to suck up or drink in) · da opsuge (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · da optage (to suck up or drink in) · hy ներծծել (to suck up or drink in) · ar دَفَعَ (finance: to assume or pay for) · da opsuge (to suck up or drink in) · sv konsumera (to consume completely) · pl pochłonąć (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu fedez (finance: to assume or pay for) · fi imaista (momentane) (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · de ertragen (to endure) · ru вбира́ть ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ru поглоти́ть (to consume completely) · pl zaabsorbować (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu magába szív (to suck up or drink in) · cmn 全神貫注 /全神贯注 (to occupy fully) · uk абсорбува́ти ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · es absorber (to consume completely) · bg поглъщам (to suck up or drink in) · eo sorbi (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · fr absorber (to suck up or drink in) · hu belefeledkezik (to occupy fully) · fi nielaista (momentane) (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · be паглына́ць (to suck up or drink in) · ru поглоща́ть (to occupy fully) · ru вобра́ть (to suck up or drink in) · ar اِحْتَوَى (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · cmn 吸入 ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · sh apsorbírati (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ast absorber (to suck up or drink in) · sh ùpiti (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ar تَحَمَّلَ (finance: to assume or pay for) · zu -donsa (to suck up or drink in) · fi syventyä (to occupy fully) · mi miti (to suck up or drink in) · ru поглоща́ть (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · pl wchłaniać (to consume completely) · de (in sich) aufnehmen (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru поглоща́ть ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ar تَحَمَّلَ (to endure) · pl pochłonąć (to assimilate mentally) · nl ondergaan (to endure) · ar اِحْتَلَّ (to occupy fully) · uk ввібра́ти (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ca absorbir ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · bg гълтам (to suck up or drink in) · no absorbere (to consume completely) · hu magába olvaszt (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · vi hấp thu (to consume completely) · it assorbire (to consume completely) · fr absorber (to assimilate mentally) · ms serap (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ja 吸収する (to assimilate mentally) · cmn 吸收 (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · es absorber ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · hu vállal (finance: to assume or pay for) · uk всмо́ктувати (to suck up or drink in) · de absorbieren (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru поглоти́ть ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · nl opzuigen (to suck up or drink in) · be паглыну́ць (to suck up or drink in) · am መጠጠ (to suck up or drink in) · nl bezighouden (to occupy fully) · gl absorber (to suck up or drink in) · mi ngongo (to suck up or drink in) · pl chłonąć (to assimilate mentally) · af opsuig (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · it assorbire ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · grc ἀποικειόω (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · fi uppoutua (to occupy fully) · sv suga i sig (to suck up or drink in) · ru впи́тывать (to suck up or drink in) · ar اِسْتَغْرَقَ (to occupy fully) · sv absorbera (to suck up or drink in) · hi सोखना (to suck up or drink in) · pl pochłonąć (to occupy fully) · sh usvòjiti (to assimilate mentally) · sh у̀пити (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · th ดูดซับ ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · pl absorbować (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru вобра́ть (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · bg поглъщам (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · sv helt uppta (to occupy fully) · fi imeä ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · la absorbeō (to suck up or drink in) · th ซึมซับ (to be absorbed) · hu felszív (to suck up or drink in) · arz احتوى (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · no påta seg (finance: to assume or pay for) · de konsumieren (to consume completely) · hi सोखना (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · hu áll (finance: to assume or pay for) · uk погли́нути (to suck up or drink in) · hu elmerül (to occupy fully) · hu magába szív (to assimilate mentally) · da absorbere (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · uk ввібра́ти (to suck up or drink in) · hu abszorbeál (to suck up or drink in) · hu beolvaszt (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · eo absorbi (to occupy fully) · ru абсорби́ровать ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · eo absorbi (to suck up or drink in) · ca absorbir (to consume completely) · ru впита́ть ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ar اِمْتَصَ (to suck up or drink in) · ru вса́сывать (to suck up or drink in) · de (ganz) in Anspruch nehmen (to occupy fully) · el αφομοιώνω (to assimilate mentally) · fi kuluttaa (to consume completely) · hu csillapít ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · sh апсорбовати (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · vi hút (to suck up or drink in) · es absorber (to suck up or drink in) · ru впита́ть (to assimilate mentally) · de aufnehmen (to assimilate mentally) · el απορροφώ (to occupy fully) · pt absorver ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · de absorbieren ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · no utholde (to endure) · ru поглоти́ть (to assimilate mentally) · it includere (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru вбира́ть (to suck up or drink in) · fi sietää (to endure) · cs pohltit (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · sv förbruka (to consume completely) · ru поглоща́ть (to assimilate mentally) · hu belemélyed (to occupy fully) · sv ta upp (to suck up or drink in) · nl in zich opnemen ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ru поглоща́ть (to suck up or drink in) · sh апсорби́рати (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · it assorbere (to suck up or drink in) · tr soğurmak ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · uk всмокта́ти (to suck up or drink in) · et neelduma ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · sw kufyonza (to suck up or drink in) · es absorber (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · sv absorbera (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · sa धयति (to suck up or drink in) · pt absorver (to consume completely) · sv suga till sig (to suck up or drink in) · ar وَعَى (to assimilate mentally) · pl zaabsorbować (to consume completely) · cs vstřebat (to assimilate mentally) · ja 吸う (to suck up or drink in) · ru поглоти́ть (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · ru вобра́ть (to assimilate mentally) · es absorber (to occupy fully) · sv absorbera ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · ka შეწოვა (to suck up or drink in) · nl verdiepen (to occupy fully) · ru поглоща́ть (to consume completely) · it assorbire (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · nl absorberen ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · fi nielaista (to consume completely) · he ספג (to suck up or drink in) · pl absorbować (to occupy fully) · fi kestää (to endure) · hu magáévá tesz (to assimilate mentally) · ca absorbir (to suck up or drink in) · sv dra åt sig (to suck up or drink in) · fr absorber (to occupy fully) · cmn 吸收 (finance: to assume or pay for) · nl (in zich) opnemen (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) · nl intrekken ((physics, chemistry) to take up by chemical or physical action) · hu elnyel (to suck up or drink in) · sv uppta (to endure)