engrained

An engrained habit can be difficult to change.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Deeply embedded or fixed: "engrained" describes something (such as a habit, belief, or attitude) that is firmly established and difficult to change, as if it has become part of a person's character or nature.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • He has an engrained habit of biting his nails. (This habit is deeply fixed and hard to break.)
  • Her engrained optimism helped her through difficult times. (Her positive outlook is a permanent part of her personality.)
  • The prejudice was so engrained in the community that it took generations to overcome. (The prejudice was deeply embedded in their social fabric.)

Advanced Usage

• "engrained in someone's mind": to be firmly fixed in a person's thoughts or memory.

  • The lessons from childhood are engrained in my mind. (They are permanently remembered.)

• "engrained in culture": to be a deep-seated part of a society's traditions or values.

  • Respect for elders is engrained in many Asian cultures. (It is a fundamental and lasting element.)

Variants and Related Words

• Engrain (verb): the act of fixing something deeply into a substance or mind (less common than "ingrain").
  • Years of practice engrained the skill in her. (The practice made the skill deeply part of her.)
• Ingrained (adjective): a common variant spelling of "engrained"; both mean the same thing.
  • His ingrained manners were obvious in every interaction. (His manners were deeply established.)

Synonyms

• Deep-seated: firmly established in a person's mind or character.
  • She has a deep-seated fear of spiders. (The fear is deeply rooted.)
• Innate: existing from birth; natural and inborn (often used for qualities).
  • His innate curiosity drove his research. (His curiosity was a natural, engrained trait.)
• Ineradicable: impossible to remove or destroy.
  • The stain was ineradicable from the fabric. (It could not be removed, like an engrained habit.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Become engrained in: to develop into a deeply fixed part of something.
  • These values became engrained in the company's culture over time. (They became deeply embedded.)

Related Idioms

• Bred in the bone: a habit or quality that is so deeply engrained it seems part of one's nature.
  • His honesty is bred in the bone; he could never tell a lie. (It is an engrained characteristic.)
• Second nature: a behavior that has become so engrained through practice that it feels instinctive.
  • Driving a car is second nature to her after years of experience. (It is an engrained skill.)