engaged — English Dictionary

Adjective

1. Having agreed to marry a particular person (one's fiancé or fiancée) or each other.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Synonyms

   affiancedbetrothed

2. Busy or employed.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   Dig if you will the picture / Of you and I engaged in a kiss / The sweat of your body covers me / Can you my darling / Can you picture this?

3. Greatly interested.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

4. (of a telephone) Already involved in a telephone call when a third party calls.

   Usage

   • UK usage
   • not-comparable

   Examples

   I tried calling, but she (or her phone) was engaged.

5. attached to a wall or sunk into it halfway

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • of a column

6. in contact and in operation

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • of gears or cogs

7. being attacked or attacking

   Usage

   • not-comparable

8. Having the widest part of its presenting part, usually the head, enter the pelvic brim or inlet.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • of a foetus

9. Synonym of engagé (“passionately committed to a cause”).

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   Black and white women writers assumed their mantle as engaged writers, as cultural and political critics.

Adjective

1. having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

   Synonyms

   occupied

   Examples

   she keeps herself fully occupied with volunteer activities

   deeply engaged in conversation

2. involved in military hostilities

   Examples

   the desperately engaged ships continued the fight

3. reserved in advance

   Synonyms

   bookedset-aside

4. (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)

   Synonyms

   busyin use

   Examples

   her line is busy

   receptionists' telephones are always engaged

   More examples (2)

   the lavatory is in use

   kept getting a busy signal

5. (used of toothed parts or gears) interlocked and interacting

   Synonyms

   meshedintermeshed

   Examples

   the gears are engaged

   meshed gears

   More examples (1)

   intermeshed twin rotors

6. having services contracted for

   Examples

   the carpenter engaged (or employed) for the job is sick

7. built against or attached to a wall

   Examples

   engaged columns

8. pledged to be married

   Synonyms

   bespokenbetrothed

   Examples

   the engaged couple