engaging 1 of 2

Definition of engagingnext
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engaging

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verb

present participle of engage
1
2
as in facing
to enter into contest or conflict with the daring young captain was eager to engage the enemy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in committing
to obligate by prior agreement we can't go to the dance because we're already engaged to attend a piano recital

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
as in hiring
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum my sister and her boyfriend have engaged a chauffeured limousine for the prom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of engaging
Adjective
Dutch Bros trains employees to be friendly, engaging, and genuinely interested in customers’ lives to create a sense of community. Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 9 Feb. 2026 His aims are more complex and heartfelt than offering an engaging bit of regional history. Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Their way of engaging, of slowing down and truly noticing, had a kind of gravitational pull. Daniel Coyle, Big Think, 3 Feb. 2026 Democrats think Trump is only engaging because of his sagging poll numbers and his sensitivity to getting blamed for another shutdown. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for engaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engaging
Adjective
  • What's so appealing about this spring boot is their comfortable fit and elevated, androgynous structure, which looks very similar to an Oxford dress shoe when paired with Johnson's black Agolde straight-leg '90s jeans.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 15 Feb. 2026
  • As construction costs remain high, the cost-effectiveness of adaptive reuse is particularly appealing.
    Margi Glavovic Nothard, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Later during the keynote, Hounsou shared an interesting nugget about the film’s budget when asked by an audience member about the difficulty of getting period films about the African diaspora off the ground in Hollywood.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Bubic had an interesting offseason.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Our guide to the best upcoming sci-fi movies in 2026 features a blockbuster mix of popular franchises, intriguing one-offs, and one of the greatest directors of all time heading back to alien visitation territory.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 31 Dec. 2025
  • New York has intriguing young outfielders in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer jones, but Bellinger was the team's second best player in the lineup this season.
    Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • The home team’s test not only was facing a 76ers team on a five-game win streak, but also finding the energy to keep pace.
    Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • If you are detained, ask the officer what crime you are suspected of committing, and remind the officer that taking photographs is your right under the First Amendment and does not constitute reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.
    John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 Feb. 2026
  • As of early February, the probability of the pair committing to wed by then was 27%.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Now, Yakitori is thriving, employing more people than ever and expanding its hours.
    Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
  • One practice that Swabb has been employing is adding unexpected artwork to rooms throughout her own home that need a bit of extra zing.
    Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.
    Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The impact is expected to hit the bottom of the employment pyramid hardest, with research finding big drops in hiring among 22- to 25-year-olds in tech and customer service, The Economist reported.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • James Van Der Beek, the charismatic actor who starred as the sensitive and insecure Dawson Leery on The WB teen melodrama Dawson’s Creek, lost his battle with colorectal cancer on Wednesday.
    Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Rayner is a popular and charismatic Labour Party soldier who was forced to step down from her role at 10 Downing Street in September due to a breach of the ministerial code after underpaying taxes on one of her residential properties.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Engaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engaging. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

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