What does "absorb" mean?

1. (to soak up liquid) to take in a liquid or other substance through a surface. 2. (to take in energy) to take in light, heat, or sound instead of reflecting it. 3. (to hold attention) to interest someone so much that they do not notice anything else. 4. (to learn or understand) to fully understand and remember new information or ideas. 5. (to incorporate or merge) to make something smaller become part of a larger group or system. 6. (to pay for costs) to pay for a cost so that someone else does not have to.

absorb

Q: Is it correct to say "The sponge was absorbed with water."?

No — say "The sponge absorbed the water.". Learners often use the passive voice or 'with' incorrectly; the object being soaked up should be the direct object of the active verb.

US //əbˈzɔɹb// UK //ɐbsˈɔːb// ab·sorb

1 to soak up liquid (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Science

to take in a liquid or other substance through a surface.

to take in a liquid, gas, or other substance by chemical or physical action. Transitive, though it can function intransitively when describing the substance's movement.

Example

The sponge can absorb a large amount of water very quickly.

Example

The porous limestone began to absorb the rainwater, preventing immediate runoff but increasing the weight of the cliff face.
- soak up
- imbibe
- exude
- emit
2 to take in energy (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Physics

to take in light, heat, or sound instead of reflecting it.

to take in radiant energy and convert it into a different form, such as heat.

Example

Dark clothes absorb more heat from the sun than light clothes.

Example

Specialised acoustic panels were installed to absorb the sound and prevent echoes in the recording studio.
- consume
- take in
- reflect

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3 to hold attention (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to interest someone so much that they do not notice anything else.

to occupy the full attention, interest, or time of someone. Often used in the passive voice or as a participial adjective.

Example

The book was so interesting that it absorbed him for the whole afternoon.

Example

The complex puzzle completely absorbed the children, keeping them silent for nearly two hours while their parents worked.
- bore
- distract
4 to learn or understand (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to fully understand and remember new information or ideas.

to mentally assimilate information or ideas so they are fully understood.

Example

It takes time to absorb all the new rules of the game.

Example

The students struggled to absorb the dense theoretical concepts presented during the final lecture of the semester.
5 to incorporate or merge (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal Business

to make something smaller become part of a larger group or system.

to incorporate a smaller entity into a larger one so that it loses its separate identity.

Example

The large company plans to absorb several smaller businesses this year.

Example

The multinational corporation sought to absorb its competitor to consolidate its dominant position in the European market.
- separate
- divest
6 to pay for costs (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal Technical Business

to pay for a cost so that someone else does not have to.

to assume the burden of a cost or expense as part of a commercial transaction.

Example

The shop decided to absorb the shipping costs to keep customers happy.

Example

The manufacturer agreed to absorb the increased price of raw materials rather than passing the cost on to the consumers.

Origin

Derived from the Latin absorbeō, meaning to swallow up, the term entered English via the Middle French absorber and the Old French assorbir. The Latin construction combines the prefix ab-, meaning from, with sorbeō, to suck in or swallow, a lineage that traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *srebʰ-, meaning to sip. It remains a cognate of the modern French absorber.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. In business contexts, it often describes taking on costs or merging smaller entities.

Pitfall

The sponge was absorbed with water.The sponge absorbed the water.Learners often use the passive voice or 'with' incorrectly; the object being soaked up should be the direct object of the active verb.