INGRAINED Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

ingrained 1 of 2

adjective

ˈin-ˌgrānd

variants also engrained

Definition of ingrained

as in inherent

being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing her deeply ingrained distrust of all authority

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ingrained

2 of 2

verb

variants also engrained

past tense of ingrain

as in suffused

to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in etched

to produce a vivid impression of the third-world privation he had witnessed forever ingrained itself upon the young doctor's memory

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as in rooted

to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter tried to ingrain traditional values in their children

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ingrained

Adjective

While new tools like the NWS HeatRisk scale aim to improve public awareness, overcoming ingrained complacency remains a significant challenge. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 The concept became so ingrained at Villanova that the word became near Pavlovian. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 June 2026

Verb

The decision does not change the community protections ingrained in other laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 25 Sep. 2026 Starting pitching, in so many ways, ruined everything, a script for decades ingrained into Rockies’ history. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ingrained

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingrained

Adjective

Miller makes the statistical adjustments required to nail the probabilities inherent in the prices.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Curic and his team have dialed down the caricature and delivered elegance to go with the innate drama of the vehicle, which is less obviously in hock to downforce or to the cooling demands inherent with other McLarens.

— Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of inherent

Adjective

As co-founder Jennifer Mantz noted, total surprise gifts carry intrinsic risks, often leaving recipients feeling guilty or uncomfortable when an item misses the mark completely.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Because the short strikes (11/17) are narrower than the long strikes (10/18), a massive directional move will cause the short options' intrinsic value to expand faster than the long options can offset it in the short term.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of intrinsic

Verb

Within these confines the main characters register as aliens; Wendy and Jack aren’t just flustered but people who seem to have never been inculcated with a rudimentary sense of social propriety.

— Vadim Rizov, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
We were inculcated with the importance of charity, love toward all, good works and humility, and urged to carry those virtues into adulthood.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of inculcated

Verb

Imagine a perfect replica of a sprawling metropolis, a Tokyo or a São Paulo, engraved at atomic dimensions on a tile the size of a fingernail.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
In July, when the Dodgers visited the White House, Walter presented Trump with an official World Series championship ring with his name engraved on it.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of engraved

Verb

Two letters redirect actions MuTRAP is a backdoor attack, also known as a Trojan attack, in which malicious behavior is embedded in a model and activated only when a specific trigger appears.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Underwriting notes that capture an applicant’s line of business in qualitative terms can be mapped to actual claim experience decades later—did the judgement embedded in that note correlate with better risk selection?

— Amanda Turcotte, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of embedded

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ingrain

ingrained

ingraining

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Ingrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingrained. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ingrained

adjective

verb

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