absorb

B1 Topic:Mind & Cognition

US /æbˈsɔɹb/ UK /əbˈzɔːb/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #11198

Meanings

1

verb
to take in a liquid, gas, or other substance gradually

The sponge absorbs water very well.
2

verb
to learn and understand new information

Children absorb new languages quickly.
3

verb
to hold someone's whole attention or interest

The new video game completely absorbed us for hours.
4

verb
to take in or deal with a cost or change

The company absorbed the extra costs rather than raising prices.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to take in a liquid, gas,... soak uptake in

2 verb · to learn and understand new... assimilatetake in

3 verb · to hold someone's whole... engage engross

4 verb · to take in or deal with a... take on

More bear

Opposites

emit

Word family

Forms absorbedabsorbingabsorbinglyabsorbs

Derived forms absorbabilityabsorbableabsorbanceabsorbateabsorbefacientabsorbent absorptionabsorptivebioabsorbmisabsorboverabsorbpreabsorb

Related forms adsorb

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.

absorber Middle French assorbir Old French absorbeō Latin *srebʰ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Mind & Cognition Materials & Substances

# absorb

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** æbˈsɔɹb
**IPA (UK):** əbˈzɔːb
**Frequency rank:** 11198

## Meanings
1. to take in a liquid, gas, or other substance gradually
2. to learn and understand new information
3. to hold someone's whole attention or interest
4. to take in or deal with a cost or change

## Examples
- The sponge absorbs water very well.
- Children absorb new languages quickly.
- The new video game completely absorbed us for hours.
- The company absorbed the extra costs rather than raising prices.

## Synonyms
- bear

## Antonyms
- emit

## Derived Forms
- absorbability
- absorbable
- absorbance
- absorbate
- absorbefacient
- absorbent
- absorption
- absorptive
- bioabsorb
- misabsorb
- overabsorb
- preabsorb

## Related Forms
- adsorb

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: absorber
- Root: assorbir
- Root: absorbeō
- Root: *srebʰ-

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Absorb comes from Middle French absorber, from Old French assorbir, from Latin absorbeō (“swallow up”), from ab- (“from”) plus sorbeō (“suck in, swallow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- (“to sip”). Compare French absorber. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition
- Materials & Substances

markdown

absorb

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback