engaged
engaged — 形容詞
1. When two people are engaged, they have made a clear promise to marry each other,
已訂婚的
已公開承諾結婚的狀態
When two people are engaged, they have made a clear promise to marry each other, and the relationship is often announced publicly.
Omar got engaged to his partner last weekend during a trip to the beach.
Omar 上週末在海邊向伴侶求婚成功，兩人已訂婚。
get + engaged + to + person: common phrase for the event
Ritu and Joon announced they are engaged at the family dinner on Sunday.
Ritu 和 Joon 在週日的家庭聚餐上宣布他們訂婚了。
be + engaged: describing the state
My sister is engaged to a man she met in her first year at university.
我妹妹跟一個在大學第一年認識的男生訂婚了。
Ada showed her mother the diamond ring after she became engaged last month.
Ada 上個月訂婚後，把鑽戒拿給媽媽看。
Their engaged friends are busy planning the wedding ceremony for next June.
他們那對訂了婚的朋友正忙著籌劃明年六月的婚禮。
- single
not married or engaged
文法句型
engaged + to + person
用法筆記
The phrase 'get engaged' (short event) is more common than 'become engaged' (formal). When used without a complement ('She is engaged'), the marriage meaning is assumed in most contexts.
常見錯誤
2. giving your complete attention and active interest to something because it captu
專注投入
全心投入並感興趣
giving your complete attention and active interest to something because it captures your curiosity or feels worth doing.
The students were deeply engaged in the chemistry experiment and did not notice the bell.
學生們完全投入在化學實驗中，完全沒注意到下課鈴聲。
deeply engaged in + noun: showing high involvement
An engaged audience usually asks more questions and stays longer after a talk.
投入的觀眾通常在演講結束後問更多問題，而且待得更久。
Cole kept the children fully engaged with songs and colourful pictures throughout the lesson.
Cole 用歌曲和彩色圖片讓孩子在整堂課中保持全神貫注。
The gripping novel kept Léa engaged from the first page onward.
那本引人入勝的小說讓 Léa 從第一頁就投入其中。
The committee stayed engaged with the issue for months before reaching a decision.
委員會持續關注那個議題好幾個月，最後才做出決定。
- disinterested
not interested or involved; careful — not the same as 'uninterested'
- indifferent
showing no interest or concern
文法句型
engaged + in + noun/gerund
engaged + with + noun
用法筆記
Often followed by 'in' (for activities) or 'with' (for topics or people). The subject is usually a person or a group. Distinguish from sense 3: being 'engaged in' something can mean merely busy (sense 3) or truly interested (sense 2); context and modifiers like 'deeply' or 'fully' clarify which meaning is intended.
常見錯誤
3. occupied with a specific task or activity so that you cannot do other things or
忙碌的
忙於某事而無法分身
occupied with a specific task or activity so that you cannot do other things or respond to interruptions.
Eli was engaged in fixing the roof, so he did not answer the phone.
我打去的時候 Eli 正在忙著修理屋頂，所以他沒接電話。
engaged in + gerund: describing current occupation
I cannot join you for lunch — I am engaged in a meeting until three.
抱歉我沒辦法跟你一起吃午餐——我現在正在開會，要到三點才結束。
The design team was engaged in a long discussion about the new project deadline.
設計團隊忙著長時間討論新專案的截止日期。
Soren was engaged in packing boxes for the move and asked me to come back later.
Soren 忙著打包搬家用的箱子，請我晚點再來。
The librarian remained engaged in sorting books for most of the morning shift.
圖書館員大部份早班時間都在忙著整理書籍。
文法句型
engaged + in + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Used as a polite way to explain why someone is unavailable. Typically followed by 'in' plus a noun or gerund. The subject is always a person or group of people. This sense focuses on the fact of being busy, whereas sense 2 emphasises the quality of interest — though the two can overlap.
常見錯誤
4. In Britain, people describe a telephone line or a toilet as engaged when someone
使用中的
電話線或廁所等已被佔用
In Britain, people describe a telephone line or a toilet as engaged when someone else is occupying it and it cannot be used.
I tried to call the office twice but both times the line was engaged.
我打了辦公室兩次，但兩次電話都佔線中。
line + was + engaged: describing a phone line already in use
The ground-floor toilet was engaged, so Ezra went up one floor.
一樓的廁所有人使用中，所以 Ezra 到樓上去上。
Every time I phone the doctor's surgery I get an engaged tone.
我每次打電話到診所，聽到的都是忙線音。
Mauricio waited outside the meeting room while the telephone line was engaged.
Mauricio 在會議室外等著，而裡面的電話一直佔線。
We could not get through to the hotel because all the lines were engaged.
我們打不通那家旅館，因為所有線路都佔線。
文法句型
engaged (phone/toilet) — no complement
用法筆記
Chiefly British English. In American English, 'the line is busy' is used for phones and 'occupied' or 'in use' for toilets. Outside of phones and toilets, this sense is not used — do not say 'the shower is engaged'.
常見錯誤
5. taking part in active fighting against an enemy during a war or armed conflict.
交戰中的
與敵方作戰中
taking part in active fighting against an enemy during a war or armed conflict.
The troops were engaged in fierce combat near the border for three days.
部隊在邊界附近激烈交戰了三天。
engaged in + combat: military idiom for fighting
Our naval forces are currently engaged with enemy ships in the eastern waters.
我方海軍目前正在東部海域與敵方船艦交戰。
engaged with + [enemy]: specifying the opponent
The two armies remained engaged in a deadly struggle for control of the capital city.
兩支軍隊為了爭奪首都的控制權，陷入了致命的戰鬥。
Soldiers who were engaged in the conflict reported severe shortages of food and water.
參與該衝突的士兵回報說食物和水的補給嚴重短缺。
The United Nations reported that both sides were still engaged in active hostilities.
聯合國報告指出，雙方仍在進行積極的敵對行動。
文法句型
engaged + in + combat/battle/fighting
engaged + with + the enemy
用法筆記
Formal register; appears mainly in military reports, news broadcasts, and historical writing. In everyday conversation, 'fighting' is far more common. The pattern 'engaged with [the enemy]' names who one is fighting; 'engaged in [combat/battle]' names the activity.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The children were engaged in a fight.' — confusing military sense with everyday conflict. Use 'fighting' or 'having a fight' for non-military contexts.