PREOCCUPIES Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

preoccupies

verb

present tense third-person singular of preoccupy

as in fascinates

to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 preoccupies In other versions, the demon preoccupies himself with people who’ve fallen asleep in church, carefully noting down every snore. — JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupies

Verb

The reaction to this movie fascinates me, starting in Cannes.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
What fascinates me most isn't simply whether Wagner can squeeze 621 miles out of this massive battery.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of fascinates

Verb

What intrigues you about taking this fish, who’s been out of water, and throwing him back into familiar waters?

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Oct. 2026
The novel that will form the basis of Reacher’s now-in-production fifth season, 2015’s Make Me, finds Reacher visiting a midwestern hamlet called Mother’s Rest because the town’s name intrigues him.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of intrigues

Verb

Cranor said a person’s risk depends on how often they are targeted, their security habits, their ability to recognize suspicious messages, and whether the lure really interests them.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
What interests Reczek and Bosley-Smith is what the information is allowed to disturb.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of interests

Browse Nearby Words

preoccupied

preoccupies

preoccupy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Preoccupies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupies. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of preoccupies

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes