engulfment

Being completely consumed

Engulfment is the act of swallowing something up completely, surrounding and absorbing it.

Water engulfs a sinking ship; flames engulf a building.

The word often describes overwhelming force—physical or emotional: She felt a sudden engulfment of grief.

In psychology, engulfment refers to the fear of losing one's identity in a relationship, of being consumed by another person's needs or presence.

overwhelming

inundate

Overwhelm with excess

  • overcomePrevail against difficulty
  • delugeSevere overflow of water
  • floodOverwhelming water overflow

overpower · drown · saturate · consume · devour · overtake · tsunami · avalanche · overwhelm · catastrophe

envelopment

shroud

Burial cloth or covering

  • encaseSurround on all sides
  • cocoonSilk wrapping for transformation
  • cloakSleeveless outer wrap

veil · enfold · enwrap · surround · embrace · enclose · smother · blanket · enshroud · encircle

psychological

enmeshment

Boundary-blurring relational pattern

fusion · merger · identity · symbiosis · possessiveness · attachment · anxiety · suffocation · claustrophobia · intrusion

fire

flames

Visible burning combustion

wildfire · combustion · incineration · firestorm · burning · spreading · consuming · raging · destruction · smoke

Categories
Opposites
degree of coverage/submersion

engulfmentgrazing

Feeding on pasture

skimming · touching · brushing · partial coverage · light exposure

containment versus release

engulfmentrelease

To let go

expulsion · emergence · liberation · ejection · disgorging

psychological overwhelming (in therapy/attachment contexts)

engulfmentabandonment

Act of leaving permanently

detachment · emotional distance · disconnection · separation · isolation

Family

gulf, engulf, submerge, engulfed, engulfing, engulfs

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Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG