engage
Mesh like gears
Engage means to occupy attention or involve actively.
You engage someone in conversation, engage with difficult material, or engage the services of a lawyer.
Gears engage when their teeth interlock; a clutch engages when it connects.
To be engaged is to be busy, already committed, or pledged to marry: They got engaged last summer.
In military use, to engage the enemy is to enter combat.
Take an active role
- involveTo contain as part
- contributeGive to a collective
- joinConnect or enlist
- collaborateWork jointly with others
interact · partake · cooperate · take part · attend · active · share · immerse
Take on for work
- employEngage for work
- recruitNew member sought
- retainKeep possession of
- contractEnforceable written agreement
commission · enlist · appoint · take on · sign · staff · onboard · headhunt
Hold attention irresistibly
- charmAttractive personal quality
- fascinateIntensely attract and hold
- enthrallTo fascinate utterly
- enchantMagically captivate someone
allure · mesmerize · bewitch · grip · rivet · entice · intrigue · absorb
Binding promise given
- vowSolemn personal commitment
- promiseCommitment to act
- oathFormal binding promise
- covenantBinding formal pledge
bond · obligation · dedicate · commit · devote · betroth · affiance · plight
Join by overlapping
- meshInterlocking open weave
- connectJoin or link
- coupleTwo linked together
- lockMechanism requiring a key
latch · gear · clutch · fasten · fit · slot · synchronize · dovetail
participate
Take an active role
- involveTo contain as part
- contributeGive to a collective
- joinConnect or enlist
collaborate · interact · partake · cooperate · take part · attend · active · share · immerse · invest
hire
Take on for work
contract · commission · enlist · appoint · take on · sign · staff · onboard · headhunt · secure
captivate
Hold attention irresistibly
enchant · allure · mesmerize · bewitch · grip · rivet · entice · intrigue · absorb · engross
pledge
Binding promise given
covenant · bond · obligation · dedicate · commit · devote · betroth · affiance · plight · troth
interlock
Join by overlapping
lock · latch · gear · clutch · fasten · fit · slot · synchronize · dovetail · link
battle
Armed military engagement
- combatArmed hostile engagement
- fightPhysical or verbal conflict
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
confront · encounter · attack · skirmish · grapple · contend · struggle · meet · face · oppose
trigger
What initiates action
ignite · energize · arouse · awaken · spur · galvanize · animate · prompt · catalyze · mobilize
- connectionslink, links, connect, connection, tie
- action verbsrun, jump, chase, grab, climb
- buzzwordssynergy, leverage, paradigm, stakeholder, scalable
- join injoin in, participate, take part, get involved, pitch in
- engageimmerse, delve, dive, plunge, absorb
- military commandsattention, halt, fall back, advance, attack
- engagement ringPre-wedding commitment jewelry
- engagement partyEvent honoring newly affianced couple
- student engagementLearner investment in education
- engaged couplePair pledged to marry
- getting engaged
- broken engagementTerminated promise to marry
engaged, engaging, engagement, disengage, disengaged, engages, engagements, disengagement, reengage