"At the party, she tried to engage her new neighbor in conversation about their favorite books."
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To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied.
"The captivating story managed to engage everyone in the room so deeply that no one noticed time passing."
In plain English: To engage means to get involved with something or someone and give your full attention.
"She decided to engage in some light conversation with her new neighbor."
Usage: Use engage when you want something that actively captures someone's interest, such as an engaging story. Avoid using it simply to mean "busy," which is better expressed by words like occupy or employ.
Example Sentences
"She decided to engage in some light conversation with her new neighbor."verb
"She decided to engage with her neighbors during coffee hour."verb
"The new employee will engage in several training sessions before starting work."verb
"Please do not engage the dog while it is eating its dinner."verb
The word "engage" comes from the Old French verb engagier, meaning "to pledge," which entered English via Middle English. Its ultimate roots lie in Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European languages, where it originally referred to making a pledge or guaranteeing something.