ingrain 1 of 2

variants also engrain
1
as in to inculcate
to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession

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2
as in to etch
to produce a vivid impression of the third-world privation he had witnessed forever ingrained itself upon the young doctor's memory

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3

ingrain

2 of 2

adjective

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How does the verb ingrain differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ingrain are imbue, infuse, inoculate, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When is it sensible to use imbue instead of ingrain?

The words imbue and ingrain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

Where would infuse be a reasonable alternative to ingrain?

While the synonyms infuse and ingrain are close in meaning, infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

In what contexts can inoculate take the place of ingrain?

In some situations, the words inoculate and ingrain are roughly equivalent. However, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When is leaven a more appropriate choice than ingrain?

Although the words leaven and ingrain have much in common, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When might suffuse be a better fit than ingrain?

The synonyms suffuse and ingrain are sometimes interchangeable, but suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

Examples of ingrain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
His philosophy is ingrained in our company’s culture. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Sep. 2024 The Mexican American designer, who grew up in the small city of Huron in California’s San Joaquin Valley, has always had the Mexican working class spirit ingrained in his ethos thanks to his parents, who originate from both Mexican and Irish descent. Luis Campuzano, WWD, 16 Sep. 2024 More specifically, Trump himself routinely attacks polling and pollsters in public remarks, further ingraining that distrust in his supporters. Christian Paz, Vox, 10 Sep. 2024 The sounds are ingrained in his mind 30 years later — the low bellow of the momma sheep, the shrill shrieks of the babies. Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ingrain 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ingrain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near ingrain

Cite this Entry

“Ingrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrain. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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