occupied 1 of 2

adjective

as in engaged
involved in often constant activity the boy is constantly occupied, usually with sports or schoolwork

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

occupied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of occupy
as in interested
to hold the attention of a puzzle will occupy that child for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 occupied
Adjective
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank early Sunday, setting fire to two mosques and scrawling graffiti on buildings, Palestinian officials said. — Reuters, NBC news, 27 July 2026 More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for a future independent state. — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026 More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for an independent state along with the Gaza Strip. — ABC News, 25 July 2026 The Israeli military began preparations for a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank on Friday after four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes there. — Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 Funerals were scarcely allowed in occupied Bershad, and public prayers for the dead were virtually impossible, said Shternshis. — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026 But all three occupied roster spots, which meant Roberts had only nine pitchers at his disposal and had to use Justin Wrobleski for two innings. — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 17 July 2026 Arrechavaleta faces charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft in the third degree, and criminal mischief causing $1,000 or more in damage, the documents show. — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 15 July 2026
Verb
Set in occupied Poland in the middle of the Second World War, Holoubek’s tour de force is part suspenseful western, part gritty wartime noir. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 July 2026 Biotechnology has always occupied a unique position on Wall Street. — Steve Brozak, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The company is raising $12 billion of debt for a Texas data center to be occupied by Meta — its first deal that puts infrastructure investor GIP and private-credit firm HPS to work in a major way since BlackRock bought them in 2024 and 2025. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 21 July 2026 Political monuments have for years occupied an uneasy place in the art world, where questions of patronage often matter as much as aesthetics. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 21 July 2026 The nightclub was opened at a location previously occupied by a Chinese restaurant, Uncle’s Chinese Cuisine. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026 In the midst of the Holocaust, a child sang a song about his mother’s death in the Bershad ghetto, a pocket of current-day Ukraine that was occupied by Romania and Nazi Germany. — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026 Though the wartime narrative appears to be swinging somewhat in Ukraine's favor, the country's cities remain under near-constant fire and Kyiv's forces do not appear able to liberate significant territory still occupied by Russian troops. — David Brennan, ABC News, 14 July 2026 Over the centuries, new technologies — like television and tablets — have eased the burdens of caregiving or helped keep children occupied. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupied
  1. engaged
  2. interested
  3. busy
  4. immersed
  5. diligent
  6. intrigued
  7. involved
  8. fascinated
Adjective
  • Across the country, laws have changed, communities have taken a harder look at aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance, and homeowners have become more engaged in conversations about the financial sustainability and safety of their buildings.
    — Christyne D. Santisteban, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Stay engaged in the conversation instead of multitasking or checking your phone.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of engaged
Verb
  • Camerlenghi says Gradara Castle has interested him since his childhood.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026
  • What interested him was the gap between the performance of power and whatever lives underneath it.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
Definition of interested
Adjective
  • India’s busiest wedding and festive season typically runs from October to April, timed with auspicious dates and favorable weather.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • The model and entrepreneur has spent years of her extremely busy life rebranding flip-flops from beach-only footwear to a gleaming symbol of elevated personal style.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 30 July 2026
Definition of busy
Verb
  • At Monarch Bay Beach Club, the coastline becomes an extension of the wellness journey, where guests can paddle across calm waters, learn to surf with expert guidance, or simply spend the afternoon immersed in the restorative presence of the ocean.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 31 July 2026
  • Football was the only career choice for Matt and Mark, having been immersed in it from birth.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of immersed
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, scholars and activists have done diligent work to calculate the damage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • Stronger, more detailed laws are essential to ensure diligent human review, prevent complacency, and protect individuals from potentially misguided AI guidance, fostering accountability in this evolving field.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of diligent
Verb
  • The possibility of this partnership intrigued football folks everywhere.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 28 July 2026
  • Matthews and his team were intrigued by how this mechanism works, but realized that using air sacs to regulate buoyancy while diving presents a problem.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 23 July 2026
Definition of intrigued
Verb
  • For those involved with Powell Gardens, however, the anniversary was about more than adding new entertainment.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Two weeks after Kowalski's retirement, interim Police Chief Ken Myers demoted everyone involved.
    — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of involved
Verb
  • One thing people are fascinated by is the relationships between women in WWE.
    — Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 31 July 2026
  • He had long been fascinated by historical fiction, but had never had the opportunity to create a work of his own.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of fascinated

Browse Nearby Words

occupations
occupied
occupier
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Cite this Entry

“Occupied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupied. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on occupied

Nglish: Translation of occupied for Spanish Speakers

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