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- DictionaryPre·oc·cu·py/prēˈäkyəˌpī/
verb
- 1. (of a matter or subject) dominate or engross the mind of (someone) to the exclusion of other thoughts: "his mother was preoccupied with paying the bills"
Jan 17, 2023 · preoccupy (third-person singular simple present preoccupies, present participle preoccupying, simple past and past participle preoccupied) ( transitive) To distract; to draw attention elsewhere. [from 16th c.] The father tried to preoccupy the child with his keys.
Britannica Dictionary definition of PREOCCUPY. [+ object] : to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly. The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers. Her family problems continue to preoccupy her. [=she continues to spend a lot of time thinking/worrying about her family problems] PREOCCUPY ...
See synonyms for preoccupy on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), pre·oc·cu·pied, pre·oc·cu·py·ing. to absorb or engross to the exclusion of other things.
verb. To occupy the thoughts of to the virtual exclusion of other matters; engross; absorb. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. To occupy or take possession of before someone else or beforehand. Webster's New World. To distract; to occupy or draw attention elsewhere. The father tried to preoccupy the child with his keys. Wiktionary. Synonyms:
preoccupy. verb. To distract; to occupy or draw attention elsewhere. The father tried to preoccupy the child with his keys. exact ( 60 )
What does the verb preoccupy mean? There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb preoccupy , seven of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
preoccupied (with something) thinking and/or worrying continuously about something so that you do not pay attention to other things. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. She seemed preoccupied all the time I was talking to her. We live in a world preoccupied by sport.
