engage

To interest someone and keep their attention or involve them in something.

• The story engaged the children.
• How can we engage more students?
• Her talk engaged the audience from the start.

How to use it: engage someone in something (The teacher engaged the class in a discussion.)

Similar words: interest, absorb, involve

Opposites: bore

Common phrases: engage an audience, engage students, engage someone in

To take part in an activity.

• They engage in regular exercise.
• We engaged in a lively discussion.
• The company no longer engages in international trade.

How to use it: engage in something (The students engaged in a debate about school rules.)

Similar words: participate, take part

Common phrases: engage in something, engage in discussion

To connect moving machine parts so that they work together.

• Engage the clutch slowly.
• He engaged the gears and started moving.
• The wheel’s teeth engage with those of the smaller wheel.

How to use it: engage with something (The smaller gear engages with the larger one.)

Similar words: connect, mesh

Opposites: disengage

Common phrases: engage the clutch, engage a gear, engage with something

To bind someone by a promise or duty, especially a promise to marry.

• They are engaged to be married.
• He engaged himself to repay the money.
• The agreement engages each member to contribute equally.

How to use it: be engaged to someone (She is engaged to her childhood friend.); engage oneself to do something (He engaged himself to complete the work by June.)

Similar words: bind, commit, pledge

Opposites: release

Common phrases: engage oneself to, engage to marry

To hire someone to do a job or provide a service.

• We engaged a lawyer.
• They engaged a consultant to review the plans.
• The hotel has engaged three new chefs.

How to use it: engage someone to do something (We engaged a builder to repair the roof.); engage someone as something (They engaged her as their legal adviser.)

Similar words: hire, employ

Opposites: dismiss

Common phrases: engage a lawyer, engage someone to

To start fighting an enemy.

• The troops engaged the enemy.
• Our ships engaged two enemy vessels.
• The soldiers were ordered not to engage.

Similar words: fight, attack

Common phrases: engage the enemy, engage enemy forces