Immerse

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Immerse

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

verb

Pronunciation

ih-MURS  /ɪˈməːs/

Definition

To dip or submerge in a liquid; to involve oneself deeply in an activity or interest; to absorb completely in something; in language learning, to surround oneself with the target language.

Plain meaning

To immerse something means to plunge it completely into a liquid — you immerse a cloth in dye, or a thermometer in water. Figuratively, to immerse yourself in something means to give yourself completely to it — you immerse yourself in work, in a culture, in a book. Language immersion is a teaching method where the target language is the only language used. Virtual reality is sometimes called an immersive medium because it surrounds the user completely.

Register

Neutral. Immerse is used in literal (immerse in liquid), figurative (immerse in work), and technical (immerse in language, immersive technology) senses. The figurative sense is very common in everyday English.