engaged
adjective
uk/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd/us/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd/engagedadjective(MARRIAGE)
B1
havingformallyagreedtomarry:
已订婚的Debbie and Christa have justgotengaged.戴比和克丽丝塔刚刚订婚。
She was engagedtosomeguyin thearmy.她和一个当兵的订了婚。
formalThey're engagedto bemarriedinJune.他们订了婚，将于6月完婚。
- Heaskedher tosignaprenuptialagreementwhen they got engaged.
- She told me that she'd been engaged threetimes, but had neveractuallymarried.
- Thisphotowas taken when we were engaged.
- Where thisformasksabout mymaritalstatus, should I write 'engaged' or just 'single'?
- She got engaged to herchildhoodsweetheartassoonas sheleftschool.
Marriage, cohabitation & other relationships
- adulteress
- affinal
- as husband and wifeidiom
- be an itemidiom
- be shacked upidiom
- hear wedding bellsidiom
- hitched
- honest
- husband
- intermarriage
- matrimony
- monogamous
- monogamy
- morganatic
- ménage à trois
- seven-year itch
- shack
- shack up
- something
- together
engagedadjective(INVOLVED/BUSY)
[after verb]
involvedin something:
卷入…的；从事…的They've been engagedinalegalbattlewith thecouncilfor severalmonths.数月来他们一直在与市政委员会进行法律斗争。
She'spartof ateamofscientistswho are engagedon/uponcancerresearch.她是从事癌症研究的科学家小组成员。
[after verb]formal
busydoing something:
忙于某事的I'd come to themeetingonTuesdaybut I'mafraidI'motherwiseengaged(= doing somethingelse).我很想参加周二的会议，但是恐怕我另有公务，脱不开身。
not available
- busyI'm busy all morning - can we meet up in the afternoon?
- tied upI'll be tied up in meetings until 3.00pm, but could meet after that.
- unavailableThe CEO is currently unavailable - may I take a message?
- engagedI can't come to tea - I'm engaged elsewhere.
- Thesoldierswere engaged inhand-to-handcombat.
- Rescuers were engaged in afranticall-nightefforttoreachthesurvivorsbeforetheirsupplyofairranout.
- So, what is thisbigresearchprojectyou're engaged upon at themoment?
- Wewonderedwhether themysteriousgentlemanwas engaged upon asecretgovernmentmission.
- During thewar, she wasactivelyengaged in theresistance.
Busy and active
- abustle
- arena
- be (as) busy as a beeidiom
- be all goidiom
- be at workidiom
- be back in harnessidiom
- boot
- frenetic
- frenetically
- gangbusters
- girlie swot
- hard-working
- plate
- rev
- run round
- run round in circlesidiom
- run round like a headless chickenidiom
- rush/runsomeoneofftheirfeetidiom
- scurry
- spread
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Unavailable and inaccessible
Machines - Functioning
engagedadjective(IN USE)
B1
If aphoneorpublictoiletis engaged, someone is already using it:
（电话）占线的，忙的；（公厕）有人使用的EverytimeIcallher, she/thephone/thenumberis engaged.每次我给她打电话，她的电话都占线。
UKI've beentryingtocallhim allevening, but Ikeepgettingthe engagedtone.我整个晚上都在试着给他打电话，但每次听到的都是忙音。
Thesignon thetoiletdoorsaid "Engaged".厕所门上的显示牌显示“有人”。
Compare
vacant(EMPTY)
- Hisphoneis engaged - can I put you onhold?
- I've called him severaltimesbut hisphoneis always engaged.
- The doctor'sconsultingroomsaid "Engaged" on thedoor, but nobody was in there.
- When the aircraft'stoiletis engaged, the "occupied"signislitup.
- All of thecubiclesin thechangingroomwere engaged, so we had towaita fewminutes.
Unavailable and inaccessible
- busy
- busy signal
- discontinued
- gone
- inaccessibility
- inaccessible
- irrecoverably
- lost
- off
- out-of-pocket
- oversubscribed
- reserved
- season
- tie
- tiesomeoneup
- unaccounted for
- unavailability
- unavailable
- unreachable