# absorb

/əbˈzɔɹb/ (US) · /ɐbsˈɔːb/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/absorb
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. to soak up liquid

verb · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

- The sponge can absorb a large amount of water very quickly.
- The porous limestone began to absorb the rainwater, preventing immediate runoff but increasing the weight of the cliff face.

### 2. to take in energy

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- Dark clothes absorb more heat from the sun than light clothes.
- Specialised acoustic panels were installed to absorb the sound and prevent echoes in the recording studio.

### 3. to hold attention

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- The book was so interesting that it absorbed him for the whole afternoon.
- The complex puzzle completely absorbed the children, keeping them silent for nearly two hours while their parents worked.

### 4. to learn or understand

verb · CEFR B2

to fully understand and remember new information or ideas.

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

- It takes time to absorb all the new rules of the game.
- The students struggled to absorb the dense theoretical concepts presented during the final lecture of the semester.

### 5. to incorporate or merge

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

- The large company plans to absorb several smaller businesses this year.
- The multinational corporation sought to absorb its competitor to consolidate its dominant position in the European market.

### 6. to pay for costs

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

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

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

- The shop decided to absorb the shipping costs to keep customers happy.
- The manufacturer agreed to absorb the increased price of raw materials rather than passing the cost on to the consumers.

## Examples

- Plants absorb water through their roots.
- The company decided to absorb the extra shipping costs rather than passing them on to the customers.
- To truly master a foreign language, one must absorb the cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions that native speakers use in everyday conversation.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The sponge was absorbed with water." but "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.

## Usage notes

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

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.