ingrain 1 of 2

variants also engrain
1
as in to inculcate
to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to etch
to produce a vivid impression of the third-world privation he had witnessed forever ingrained itself upon the young doctor's memory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

ingrain

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ingrain differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ingrain are imbue, infuse, inoculate, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When is it sensible to use imbue instead of ingrain?

The words imbue and ingrain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

Where would infuse be a reasonable alternative to ingrain?

While the synonyms infuse and ingrain are close in meaning, infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

In what contexts can inoculate take the place of ingrain?

In some situations, the words inoculate and ingrain are roughly equivalent. However, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When is leaven a more appropriate choice than ingrain?

Although the words leaven and ingrain have much in common, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When might suffuse be a better fit than ingrain?

The synonyms suffuse and ingrain are sometimes interchangeable, but suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

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 ingrain
Verb
Despite long days on set, the siblings didn’t fight — a life lesson their parents ingrained in them at a very young age. Emily Weaver, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025 Service is deeply ingrained in the farm community. Beth Ford, Time, 20 Aug. 2025 By the time Salah returned to England in 2017, gym work was fully ingrained in his life, inside and outside the club environment. Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 For four years, Hufanga ingrained himself into the fabric of San Francisco. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ingrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingrain
Verb
  • Notably, said Kriner, individuals who are inculcated with a sense of nihilism do not commit crimes to achieve an ideological goal.
    Odette Yousef, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Another important way is to inculcate mindfulness by observing anger as a passing emotion rather than being all consumed by it.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • Raising four fingers in the air, Noah Lyles has forever etched his name in history.
    Paras J. Haji, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Much of that responsibility must first fall to journalists, those brave enough to traverse the internet wilds and report back their findings, to help interpret, say, meme language etched onto bullets.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Trump has indicated plans to appoint governors who favor aggressive rate cuts, a move that could offer short-term relief given softening labor data but risks entrenching higher inflation over time.
    Bob Haber, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The next election may well determine whether that trend is entrenched or reversed.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Foster self-acceptance by regularly affirming your son’s inherent value, and the value of other young men, irrespective of any kind of achievements, characteristics, and physical attributes.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Before the Big Bang, the Universe wasn’t dominated by matter or radiation, but by energy inherent to space itself, in a phase known as cosmic inflation.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This plaid throw blanket is the ideal accent to drape over an armchair, sofa, or at the end of a bed to infuse warmth and charm into a space.
    Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Conversations about how to infuse new life into Ottenheimer Market Hall have been percolating since at least 2019, when a consulting firm produced a study of the space.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the 1988 New Fashioned, a whiskey cocktail named for the year Vang’s family immigrated to the United States from the Thai refugee camp Ban Vinai, a stately ice cube is engraved with a geometric symbol evoking traditional Hmong embroidery.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Investigators noted inscriptions that had been engraved on casings found with the rifle.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz , Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Urban streams, even once restored, suffer a number of ailments intrinsic to their circumstances and surroundings.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Monetary debasement, the practice of reducing the intrinsic value of a currency, is a tale as old as time.
    Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • All people, from young children to older adults, are recommended to inoculate themselves against influenza, according to recommendations released Wednesday.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Develop Character To Combat Cognitive Warfare Developing and strengthening character inoculates individuals.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ingrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrain. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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