occupy

To be in a place, live there, or take up space.

• The sofa occupies most of the room.
• Two families occupied the house before us.
• Does anyone occupy the apartment upstairs?

Similar words: take up, inhabit

Opposites: vacate

Common phrases: occupy a room, occupy a building, occupy space

To take control of a place, usually by using soldiers.

• The army occupied the city.
• Foreign troops occupy the northern region.
• The island was occupied during the war.

Similar words: take over, hold

Opposites: liberate

Common phrases: occupy a country, occupy a territory, occupy a city

To keep someone busy or use their time.

• This puzzle will occupy the children.
• Repairs occupied most of my weekend.
• How do you occupy yourself on rainy days?

How to use it: occupy yourself with something (She occupied herself with a puzzle while she waited.)

Similar words: keep busy, engage

Common phrases: occupy someone, occupy someone’s time, occupy yourself with something

To fill someone’s thoughts so they keep thinking about something.

• The problem occupied my mind all day.
• Thoughts of home occupy her whenever she feels lonely.
• His thoughts were occupied by the coming exam.

Similar words: preoccupy, absorb

Common phrases: occupy someone’s mind, occupy someone’s thoughts

To have a particular job, title, or role.

• She occupies a senior position.
• He occupied the same post for fifteen years.
• Few women occupy leadership roles in this organization.

Similar words: hold, fill

Common phrases: occupy a position, occupy a post, occupy a role

To keep someone interested and paying attention.

• The story occupied the children’s attention.
• She occupied the guests with amusing stories.
• His performance occupied our attention until the very end.

Similar words: engage, absorb, hold

Common phrases: occupy someone’s attention, occupy an audience