OCCUPIED Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

occupied 1 of 2

adjective

as in engaged

involved in often constant activity the boy is constantly occupied, usually with sports or schoolwork

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

occupied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of occupy

as in interested

to hold the attention of a puzzle will occupy that child for hours

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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 occupied

Adjective

The scenes unfolded the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in another part of Hebron, wearing a military-style vest, and vowed to intensify operations across the occupied West Bank. — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026 This comes amid a surge of violence and land seizures by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 Before the Israeli military arrived, Hannah Spiro was helping Palestinian farmers pick olives in the occupied West Bank. — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Israel began demolishing buildings and forcing residents to evacuate a neighborhood in the occupied West Bank on Friday, hours after two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint, killing two soldiers. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026 Israeli police have arrested 10 suspects in the occupied West Bank following attacks by Jewish settlers over the weekend in which a US journalist and European diplomats were among those injured. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026 Netanyahu’s government has also been called to task over the reports of settler violence against Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank. — Callum Sutherland, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 Police said 10 suspects were arrested on Monday following violent attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank that prompted heavy criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026 The controversy centers in part on Tulchinsky’s reported support for a community center in Efrat, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

The 18-story building collapsed Friday in a busy commercial street of the capital Nairobi, trapping construction workers and people reportedly inside shops on the ground and basement floors that had been illegally occupied. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 One in coastal California extends approximately 620 miles long, while several smaller supercolonies occupied surrounding territories. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Israel regularly imposes restrictions on movement across the Palestinian occupied territory with some 925 checkpoints, roadblocks, earth mounds and other barriers. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 Roughly 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 Residents of the southern Ukrainian ⁠town, occupied by Russian forces since February 2022, have reported a deepening food crisis. — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 In 1978, after a series of attacks on Israel organized by Palestinian fighters in Lebanon, Israel invaded and occupied the south in what was known as Operation Litani. — Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 About half of Faux’s dining room, on my visits, seemed to be occupied by the young and beautiful, perhaps strategizing, over moules bouillabaisse, when to move the party to the bar downstairs. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 Set at around 4,700 feet where three great Alpine passes converge, Andermatt has occupied an important place on Europe’s map for centuries. — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupied

Adjective

The couple began dating in 2018, became engaged in January 2019 and married in June of that year.

— Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
If companies want more engaged workers, ADP CEO Maria Black says CEOs and senior leaders should start by asking themselves if employees trust them.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of engaged

Adjective

The best travel accessories are the ones that quietly earn a permanent spot in your carry-on, and Amazon’s outlet has some useful finds ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2026
Emily Ratajkowski has been keeping busy in Los Angeles, mixing daring mirror selfies with a little romance.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of busy

Verb

Doherty, reconnecting with Scotland during visits to see his mother, immersed himself in gritty British cinema by filmmakers Shane Meadows and Ken Loach, as well as music by Massive Attack, Siouxsie and the Banshees and PJ Harvey.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
The mix of modern and vintage aims to make customers feel fully immersed in the world of Coach, according to a news release.

— Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of immersed

Adjective

Both players are diligent with preparation and exude a toughness that coaches love.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Receiving that crown of life comes through diligent prayer, and we are helped along the way at various checkpoints.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of diligent

Verb

Jason Oppenheim, the luxury real estate broker best known for his role on Selling Sunset, was intrigued by Pratt and Raman this election cycle.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
My 15-year-old daughter just got her learner’s permit, so when I was pitched a new gadget tailored to teen drivers, I was intrigued.

— Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of intrigued

Verb

On a visit to the Bargello sculpture museum in Florence, Italy, a 3-year-old friend of mine was fascinated by its statues’ naked butts.

— Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
He’s always been obsessed with historic epochs like the Civil War and World War II and fascinated with the post-war boom and the sojourns of Route 66.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of fascinated

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occupations

occupied

occupier

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Style

“Occupied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupied. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of occupied

adjective

verb

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