engage

Definition of engage in English English dictionary: To enter into (an activity), to participate (construed with in); To bind through legal or moral obligation (to do something, especially to marry) (usually in passive)
They were engaged last month! They're planning to have the wedding next year.; To engross or hold the attention of (someone); to keep busy or occupied; To guarantee or promise (to do something); To pledge, pawn (one's property); to put (something) at risk or on the line; to mortgage (houses, land)
Thou that doest liue in later times, must wage / Thy workes for wealth, and life for gold engage.; To mesh or interlock (of machinery, especially a clutch)
Whenever I engage the clutch, the car stalls out.; To draw into conversation; To attract, to please; to fascinate or win over (someone); To arrange to employ or use (a worker, a space, etc); To enter into battle; To enter into conflict with (an enemy); {f} keep busy, occupy; employ; attract; commit, bind (to fulfill an obligation); enter into a fight; get caught; "make sure the gear is engaged" keep engaged; "engaged the gears" as of aid, help, services, or support as of wars, battles, or campaigns; "Napoleon and Hitler waged war against all of Europe" ask to represent; of legal counsel; "I'm retaining a lawyer; To attract, to draw into conversation; keep engaged; "engaged the gears"; engage or hire for work; "They hired two new secretaries in the department"; "How many people has she employed?"; To mesh or interlock (of machinery, especially a clutch.); If something engages you or your attention or interest, it keeps you interested in it and thinking about it. They never learned skills to engage the attention of the others; engage for service under a term of contract; "We took an apartment on a quiet street"; "Let's rent a car"; "Shall we take a guide in Rome?"; [1] to come into contact and be locked together (with another part); To make contact blade-to-blade; When a military force engages the enemy, it attacks them and starts a battle. It could engage the enemy beyond the range of hostile torpedoes. see also engaged, engaging; A controller being able to share data and facilities in asaid to be engaged in the collaboration area, and the collaborationto engage the controller; To employ or obtain the services of someone; ask to represent; of legal counsel; "I'm retaining a lawyer"; To bring the enemy under fire; To promise or pledge one's self; to enter into an obligation; to become bound; to warrant; To engross or hold the attention of someone; carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in; "She pursued many activities"; "They engaged in a discussion"; To enter into conflict; to join battle; as, the armies engaged in a general battle; To be in gear, as two cogwheels working together; If you engage someone in conversation, you have a conversation with them. They tried to engage him in conversation; To embark in a business; to take a part; to employ or involve one's self; to devote attention and effort; to enlist; as, to engage in controversy; To bring together or prepare before fighting; in air defense, a fire control order used to direct; as of aid, help, services, or support as of wars, battles, or campaigns; "Napoleon and Hitler waged war against all of Europe"; as of aid, help, services, or support; give to in marriage; To employ the attention and efforts of; to occupy; to engross; to draw on; To fascinate or win over someone; To keep busy or occupied; If you engage in an activity, you do it or are actively involved with it. I have never engaged in the drug trade; as of wars, battles, or campaigns; "Napoleon and Hitler waged war against all of Europe"; get caught; "make sure the gear is engaged"; To gain over; to win and attach; to attract and hold; to draw; To gain for service; to bring in as associate or aid; to enlist; as, to engage friends to aid in a cause; to engage men for service; To come into gear with; as, the teeth of one cogwheel engage those of another, or one part of a clutch engages the other part; ask to represent; of legal counsel; "I'm retaining a lawyer; To pledge, to put something at risk or on the line; – At this step, Associations are starting to use technology to build relationships Rather than simply communicating, community is being developed and a true sense of belonging You’re taking the web to the next level and developing a truly individualized member experience Members are able to get the information their looking for more quickly The Association is able to get to know the member better Dividends are paid in member satisfaction, more likely renewals, and more interaction with the organization; To guarantee or promise (to do something.); To enter into contest with; to encounter; to bring to conflict; If you engage someone to do a particular job, you appoint them to do it. We engaged the services of a recognised engineer; If you engage with something or with a group of people, you get involved with that thing or group and feel that you are connected with it or have real contact with it. She found it hard to engage with office life + engagement en·gage·ment And she, too, suffers from a lack of critical engagement with the literary texts; To put under pledge; to pledge; to place under obligations to do or forbear doing something, as by a pledge, oath, or promise; to bind by contract or promise; engage or engross wholly; "Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely"; When a part of a machine or other mechanism engages or when you engage it, it moves into a position where it fits into something else. Press the lever until you hear the catch engage. a lesson in how to engage the four-wheel drive; In air defense, a fire control order used to direct or authorize units and/or weapon systems to fire on a designated target; To enter into (an activity), to participate (+ in.)
engagé: {s} (French) committed to a specific cause from a moral point of view; committed to an ideology
engage a servant: {f} hire a helper, employ a maid, engage a worker
engage in a discussion: participate in a discussion; get involved in a discussion
engaged: Already involved in a telephone call when a third party calls it
engaged: Busy or employed
engaged: Simple past tense and past participle of engage
engaged: in contact and in operation
engaged: attached to a wall or sunk into it halfway
engaged: Involved; esp
engaged: When two people are engaged, they have agreed to marry each other. We got engaged on my eighteenth birthday
engaged: involved in military hostilities; "the desperately engaged ships continued the fight"
engaged: (of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; (`engaged' is a British term for a busy telephone line); "her line is busy"; "receptionists' telephones are always engaged"; "the lavatory is in use"; "kept getting a busy signal"
engaged: If a public toilet is engaged, it is already being used by someone else
engaged: Agreed to be married
engaged: past of engage
engaged: Pledged; promised; especially, having the affections pledged; promised in marriage; affianced; betrothed
engaged: Occupied; employed; busy
engaged: Someone who is engaged in or engaged on a particular activity is doing that thing. They found the three engaged in target practice. the various projects he was engaged on
engaged: involved in a hostile encounter; as, the engaged ships continued the fight
engaged: Actively fighting one or more opponents in melee combat (Held, unconscious, or otherwise immobilized characters are not considered engaged unless they are actually being attacked )
engaged: involved in military hostilities; "the desperately engaged ships continued the fight
engaged: If a telephone or a telephone line is engaged, it is already being used by someone else so that you are unable to speak to the person you are phoning. The line is engaged
engaged: having ones attention or mind or energy engaged; "she keeps herself fully occupied with volunteer activities"; "deeply engaged in conversation"
engaged: Greatly interested; of awakened zeal; earnest
engaged: built against or attached to a wall; "engaged columns"
engaged: Having another call on a telephone
engaged: Of a column or pilaster: attached to a wall
engaged: pledged to be married; "the engaged couple"
engaged: reserved in advance
engaged: (used of toothed parts or gears) interlocked and interacting; "the gears are engaged"; "meshed gears"; "intermeshed twin rotors"
engaged: {s} betrothed; busy (about a telephone line); occupied, involved
engaged: having ones attention or mind or energy engaged; "she keeps herself fully occupied with volunteer activities"; "deeply engaged in conversation" built against or attached to a wall; "engaged columns" having services contracted for; "the carpenter engaged (or employed) for the job is sick" (used of toothed parts or gears) interlocked and interacting; "the gears are engaged"; "meshed gears"; "intermeshed twin rotors" involved in military hostilities; "the desperately engaged ships continued the fight
engaged: having services contracted for; "the carpenter engaged (or employed) for the job is sick"
engager: One who enters into an engagement or agreement; a surety
engager: {i} one who is party to an agreement; one who is involved in an occupation; employer
engaging: Tending to draw the attention or affections; attractive; as, engaging manners or address
engaging: Present participle of to engage
engaging: attracting or delighting; "an engaging frankness"; "a piquant face with large appealing eyes
engaging: An engaging person or thing is pleasant, interesting, and entertaining. one of her most engaging and least known novels He was engaging company. pleasant and attracting your interest
engaging: attracting or delighting; "an engaging frankness"; "a piquant face with large appealing eyes"
engaging: Interesting; charming; attractive, especially of a manner or behaviour
engaging: {s} delightful, captivating, enchanting
engagingly: in an engaging manner; "she played the role engagingly"
engagingly: delightfully, charmingly, captivatingly
engagingly: In an engaging manner

engage

Hyphenation

en·gage

Turkish pronunciation

engeyc

Synonyms

appoint, bespeak, book, bring on board, charter, come on board, commission, contract, employ, enlist, enroll, ink, lease, place, prearrange

Antonyms

disengage, banish, discharge, dismiss, eject, expel, fire, let go, oust, release, decline, refuse, reject, shun, break off

Pronunciation

/enˈgāʤ/ /ɛnˈɡeɪʤ/

Etymology

[ in-gAj, en- ] (verb.) 15th century. From Old (and modern) French engager (from the same base as English wage) from en- + Old French gage "pledge", of Germanic origin, from Frankish *waddi, wadja (cognate with Old English wedd), from Proto-Germanic *wadjo, *wadi- (“pledge”) from Proto-Indo-European *wadh- (“to pledge, redeem a pledge”). Akin to Old Norse veþja "to pledge", Gothic wadi. More at wed.