📒 to take in a liquid, gas or other substance from the surface or space around
- absorb something Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
- Let the rice cook until it has absorbed all the water.
- absorb something into something The cream is easily absorbed into the skin.
📒 to take in and keep heat, light, energy, sound, etc. instead of reflecting it
- Black walls absorb a lot of heat during the day.
📒 to reduce the effect of a physical impact or movement
- This tennis racket absorbs shock on impact.
- The bats have graphite shafts that absorb the vibration.
📒 to take something into the mind and learn or understand it
- It's a lot of information to absorb all at once.
- It took me several days to absorb the fact of her death.
- They spent a week in Paris just absorbing the atmosphere.
📒 to interest somebody very much so that they pay no attention to anything else
- This work had absorbed him for several years.
- Her work absorbed her completely.
📒 to make something smaller become part of something larger
- absorb something The town absorbs an influx of tourists every summer.
- be absorbed into something The surrounding small towns have been absorbed into the city.
- These committees were gradually absorbed into the local government machine.
📒 to use up a large supply of something, especially money or time
- The new proposals would absorb $80 billion of the federal budget.
- My work absorbs a great deal of my time.
📒 to deal with changes, effects, costs, etc.
- The company is unable to absorb such huge losses.