engaged
(Military)
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- betrothed (archaic), affianced, pledged, promised, spoken for
- occupied, busy, employed, in use, tied up, unavailable

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Antonyms: unengaged
Contrasted words: free, uncommitted, unpledged
Related Words: committed, pledged

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English Thesaurus: married, single, engaged, live together, separated, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

en‧gaged /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd/ adjective

1. if two people are engaged, they have agreed to marry:
Have you heard? Sally and Ray are getting engaged.
She is engaged to be married.
engaged to
Kate’s engaged to Mark.

2. British English if you call someone on the telephone and their line is engaged, they are already speaking to someone else Synonym : busy American English:
She rang Mrs Tavett but the line was engaged.
engaged tone/signal (=the sound you hear when the phone is engaged)

3. British English written a public toilet that is engaged is being used Antonym : vacant

4. be otherwise engaged formal to be unable to do something because you are doing something else

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

engaged
adj.
I. doing sth
VERBS be
ADV. deeply, heavily those who are deeply engaged in party politics
fully, totally | largely, mainly, primarily | directly | constantly | currently | actively, busily | otherwise I'm afraid Mr Wilson cannot see you now as he is otherwise engaged.
PREP. in She was engaged in conversation with a client.
on He is actively engaged on several projects.
with Mrs Scott is engaged with a customer at the moment.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

engaged
II. having promised to marry sb
VERBS be | become, get The couple got engaged last month.
PREP. to She's engaged to an actor.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

engaged
adjective
BAD: Why did you get engaged with Paul if you don't want to marry him?
GOOD: Why did you get engaged to Paul if you don't want to marry him?

Usage Note:
be/get engaged to sb : 'When we first met, she was already engaged to an airline pilot.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

married having a husband or wife:
How long have you been married?
a married couple
single not married:
Chris is 45 and still single.
single mothers
engaged having formally agreed to marry someone in the future:
Jane and Pete have just got engaged.
engaged couples
live together to share a home and have a sexual relationship, but not be married:
More and more couples are choosing to live together rather than get married.
separated no longer living with your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage:
I think Joan and Brian are separated now.
divorced no longer married because you have legally ended your marriage:
My parents got divorced when I was 10.
divorced men
widowed no longer married because your husband or wife has died:
He’s a widowed father of two.
husband/wife the man/woman you are married to:
My wife’s a teacher.
partner the person you live with and have a sexual relationship with. Partner is often used when people are not married, or when you do not know if they are married. It is also used when talking about same-sex couples:
He lives with his partner Ruth and their eight-month-old son.
fiancé/fiancée the man/woman you are engaged to:
He and fiancée Wendy Hodgson will marry in July.
divorcee a woman who is divorced:
The Prince announced his intention to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.
widow/widower a woman or man whose husband or wife has died:
Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former President
spouse formal your spouse is your husband or wife:
The rule applies to spouses and children of military personnel.
estranged wife/husband formal someone’s estranged husband or wife is one who they do not live with anymore:
She is trying to get her sons back from her estranged husband.
bachelor a man who has never been married:
He’s a confirmed bachelor (=a man who has decided he will never marry).
spinster old-fashioned a woman who has never been married and is no longer young:
The house was owned by an elderly spinster.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲