to occupy

Examples

• All

• So I'm trying to occupy my mind with you guys.

• We need them as a constructive way to occupy our brains.

  Big Think

• I find some other thing to occupy my mind.

  Film Courage

• The questions above are large enough to occupy us fully, but another related question is perhaps more serious.

  Academic text (1999)

• But we can only occupy our cats with this kind of thing so much.

• Try to keep your mind occupied.

  Fall (2022)

• The question, "after liberation, what next?" has, however, begun to occupy the minds of many.

  Academic text (1990)

• Anyway, you probably noticed I've been keeping my brain well occupied for the past few hours.

  Fiction book (1991)

• Increasing evidence indicates adolescents are likely to occupy their leisure time with online games.

  Academic text (2008)

• Keep my mind occupied.

  He Got Game (1998)

Synonyms

E

to engage

vsto occupy

117 3.5

To keep someone's full attention

fills mind or time but may lack deep involvement

A

to absorb

vsto occupy

112 3.1

To give all your attention to something

fills attention or time without always taking full focus

E

to engross

vsto occupy

17 5.8

To hold someone's full attention

fills mind or time but can be less total or intense

B

to busy

vsto occupy

10 1.0

To keep yourself active by doing something

fills time or attention instead of describing self activity

K

to keep captive

vsto occupy

6.7

Hold someone's full attention so they cannot think of anything else

fills attention or time but not always to the point of fixation

L

to live rent-free in someone's head

vsto occupy

• Slang

8.4

To stay constantly in someone's thoughts and annoy them

fills mind or time but may be temporary or chosen

Antonyms

D

to distract

513 2.1

To make someone stop paying attention to what they are doing or thinking about

N

neglect

100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

Phrasal Verbs

O

to occupy oneself

3 4.1

To keep yourself busy with an activity

How Absorbing

to engross

17 5.8

to distract

513 2.1

to absorb

112 3.1

to occupy

99 3.5

Surface Forms

Etymology