engorge: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Literary, Medical, Technical
Quick answer
What does “engorge” mean?
To fill something excessively, especially with blood or food.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To fill something excessively, especially with blood or food; to cause swelling or congestion.
To consume greedily or to cause something to become distended or congested, often with negative connotations of excess.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or grammatical differences. More frequent in medical/biological texts in both regions.
Connotations
Slightly more clinical in American usage; can have a more literary/gothic flavour in British contexts.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech for both. Slightly higher frequency in British ecological/wildlife writing (e.g., 'engorged tick').
Grammar
How to Use “engorge” in a Sentence
[S] engorge [O] (with something)[S] become engorged[S] engorge on/upon [O]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “engorge” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The tick will engorge itself on the host's blood.
- After the downpour, the streams became engorged.
- He watched the leeches engorge in the specimen jar.
American English
- The mosquito engorged itself on blood.
- The inflamed tissue began to engorge rapidly.
- They would engorge on sweets during the holidays.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form. 'Engorgingly' is extremely rare/non-standard.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- The engorged river burst its banks.
- She applied a cold compress to the engorged area.
American English
- The engorged tick was carefully removed.
- Engorged veins were visible on his forehead.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially metaphorical: 'The company engorged itself on cheap acquisitions.'
Academic
Common in medical/biological sciences: 'The leech becomes engorged after feeding.'
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used humorously: 'I engorged myself on Thanksgiving dinner.'
Technical
Standard in medicine (e.g., engorged capillaries), veterinary science, entomology.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “engorge”
- Using it intransitively without 'on' (e.g., 'He engorged the cake' vs. 'He engorged himself on the cake').
- Confusing 'engorge' (process) with 'engorged' (state).
- Overusing in non-technical contexts where 'stuff' or 'overeat' would be natural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word used primarily in formal, medical, or literary contexts.
'Gorge' (verb) means to eat greedily. 'Engorge' has a broader meaning of causing excessive filling, often used in biological/medical contexts (e.g., with blood), though it can also mean to eat greedily.
Rarely. It typically carries a negative connotation of unhealthy or unnatural excess, even when describing something positive like a feast.
The past participle 'engorged' is far more common than the base verb 'engorge', especially as an adjective (e.g., 'engorged veins').
To fill something excessively, especially with blood or food.
Engorge is usually formal, literary, medical, technical in register.
Engorge: in British English it is pronounced /ɪnˈɡɔːdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɪnˈɡɔːrdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms. The word itself is somewhat figurative.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of EN-GORGE: going INto a GORGE (a deep narrow valley) and filling it up completely.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONSUMPTION IS FILLING A CONTAINER TO EXCESS.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'engorge' most appropriately used?