engaged

engaged — adjective

1. When two people are engaged, they have made a clear promise to marry each other,

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

When two people are engaged, they have made a clear promise to marry each other, and the relationship is often announced publicly.

Example

Omar got engaged to his partner last weekend during a trip to the beach.

get + engaged + to + person: common phrase for the event

Ritu and Joon announced they are engaged at the family dinner on Sunday.

be + engaged: describing the state

Common collocations
  • engaged to someone
  • get engaged
  • become engaged
  • newly engaged couple
Synonyms
  • betrothed

    very formal and old-fashioned; almost never used in everyday speech

  • promised

    informal shortening of 'promised in marriage'; less common today

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

engaged + to + person

Usage Note

The phrase 'get engaged' (short event) is more common than 'become engaged' (formal). When used without a complement ('She is engaged'), the marriage meaning is assumed in most contexts.

Common Mistakes

She engaged to a doctor.
She is engaged to a doctor.
'engaged' is an adjective here, so it needs a form of 'be'.
He is engaged with her.
He is engaged to her.
marriage engagement uses 'to', not 'with'.

2. giving your complete attention and active interest to something because it captu

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

giving your complete attention and active interest to something because it captures your curiosity or feels worth doing.

Example

The students were deeply engaged in the chemistry experiment and did not notice the bell.

deeply engaged in + noun: showing high involvement

An engaged audience usually asks more questions and stays longer after a talk.

Common collocations
  • deeply engaged
  • fully engaged
  • engaged with a topic
  • engaged in a conversation
Synonyms
  • involved

    slightly weaker; can mean mere participation without enthusiasm

  • absorbed

    stronger; suggests total mental focus to the point of being unaware of surroundings

  • committed

    emphasises dedication over current attention; one can be committed but not currently engaged

Antonyms
  • disinterested

    not interested or involved; careful — not the same as 'uninterested'

  • indifferent

    showing no interest or concern

Grammar Patterns

engaged + in + noun/gerund

engaged + with + noun

Usage Note

Often followed by 'in' (for activities) or 'with' (for topics or people). The subject is usually a person or a group. Distinguish from sense 3: being 'engaged in' something can mean merely busy (sense 3) or truly interested (sense 2); context and modifiers like 'deeply' or 'fully' clarify which meaning is intended.

Common Mistakes

He was engaged on the documentary.
He was engaged in the documentary.
'in' is the standard preposition, not 'on'.
I am very engaged to this project.
I am very engaged with this project.
'to' signals marriage engagement (sense 1), not interest.

3. occupied with a specific task or activity so that you cannot do other things or

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

occupied with a specific task or activity so that you cannot do other things or respond to interruptions.

Example

Eli was engaged in fixing the roof, so he did not answer the phone.

engaged in + gerund: describing current occupation

I cannot join you for lunch — I am engaged in a meeting until three.

Common collocations
  • engaged in a task
  • engaged in conversation
  • currently engaged
  • engaged in work
Synonyms
  • occupied

    similar in meaning but slightly more formal; common in written notices ('Seat occupied')

  • busy

    simpler and more common in everyday speech; 'busy' does not require a preposition

Antonyms
  • free

    not occupied; available to do other things

  • idle

    not working or active; doing nothing

Grammar Patterns

engaged + in + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Used as a polite way to explain why someone is unavailable. Typically followed by 'in' plus a noun or gerund. The subject is always a person or group of people. This sense focuses on the fact of being busy, whereas sense 2 emphasises the quality of interest — though the two can overlap.

Common Mistakes

She is engaged to prepare the report.
She is engaged in preparing the report.
'engaged in' requires a noun or gerund, not an infinitive.
I am engaged to do the dishes.
I am busy doing the dishes.
'engaged in' sounds too formal for everyday chores; use 'busy' instead.

4. In Britain, people describe a telephone line or a toilet as engaged when someone

4.adjectiveB1
Definition

In Britain, people describe a telephone line or a toilet as engaged when someone else is occupying it and it cannot be used.

Example

I tried to call the office twice but both times the line was engaged.

line + was + engaged: describing a phone line already in use

The ground-floor toilet was engaged, so Ezra went up one floor.

Common collocations
  • engaged tone
  • engaged signal
  • engaged line
  • line is engaged
Synonyms
  • busy

    American English equivalent for phone lines

  • occupied

    used for toilets in both British and American English

  • in use

    neutral term that works for both British and American contexts

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

engaged (phone/toilet) — no complement

Usage Note

Chiefly British English. In American English, 'the line is busy' is used for phones and 'occupied' or 'in use' for toilets. Outside of phones and toilets, this sense is not used — do not say 'the shower is engaged'.

Common Mistakes

The phone is busy' (when writing for a British audience).
The phone is engaged.
'busy' for phone lines is American English.
The room is engaged.
The room is taken / occupied.
this sense is limited to phones and toilets.
I called and got an occupied line.
I called and got an engaged tone.
'engaged tone' is the British term for the busy signal.

5. taking part in active fighting against an enemy during a war or armed conflict.

5.adjectiveC1
Definition

taking part in active fighting against an enemy during a war or armed conflict.

Example

The troops were engaged in fierce combat near the border for three days.

engaged in + combat: military idiom for fighting

Our naval forces are currently engaged with enemy ships in the eastern waters.

engaged with + [enemy]: specifying the opponent

Common collocations
  • engaged in combat
  • engaged in battle
  • engaged with the enemy
  • actively engaged
Synonyms
  • fighting

    simpler and more common in everyday language

  • battling

    similar to 'fighting' but slightly more dramatic

  • combatant

    noun form; more technical and legal

Antonyms
  • peaceful

    not involved in fighting; at peace

  • neutral

    not supporting either side in a conflict

Grammar Patterns

engaged + in + combat/battle/fighting

engaged + with + the enemy

Usage Note

Formal register; appears mainly in military reports, news broadcasts, and historical writing. In everyday conversation, 'fighting' is far more common. The pattern 'engaged with [the enemy]' names who one is fighting; 'engaged in [combat/battle]' names the activity.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'The children were engaged in a fight.' — confusing military sense with everyday conflict. Use 'fighting' or 'having a fight' for non-military contexts.

He engaged in the war.' (when meaning he was a soldier)
He was engaged in the war.
the adjective needs a form of 'be'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

These four words all describe a connection to an activity or idea, but they differ in intensity and emphasis. 'Engaged' (sense 2) suggests active, willing participation with focused attention — a student who is engaged in a lesson is both mentally present and contributing. 'Involved' is broader and weaker; you can be involved in a committee meeting while mentally elsewhere, simply because your name is on the list. 'Absorbed' is stronger still — it means total mental immersion, often to the point of forgetting your surroundings, like a painter absorbed in her canvas. 'Committed' emphasises loyalty and dedication over current attention: a committed volunteer may not be engaged with the task at this very moment but will show up reliably. For a learner trying to describe genuine classroom participation, 'engaged' is usually the best choice — it sits between the weak 'involved' and the extreme 'absorbed', and carries a positive, active tone.

engaged ↗involved ↗absorbedcommitted ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Comes from the French word 'engagé', the past participle of 'engager', meaning to pledge or commit. The French verb was formed from 'en-' (in) and 'gage' (a pledge or token). The word entered English in the early 1600s with the general meaning of 'pledged or bound by a promise'. From this core idea the senses branched: a promise to marry (sense 1), a promise to be present or involved (senses 2 and 3), something already 'claimed' or in use (sense 4), and finally troops who are 'committed' to battle (sense 5).