absorb
Meaning: To take in or soak up a substance, information, or impact; to incorporate a smaller entity into a larger one; to fully engage someone's interest or attention.
Absorb is remarkably versatile, spanning physical, intellectual, financial, and emotional domains. A sponge absorbs water, a student absorbs knowledge, a company absorbs costs, and a person can be absorbed in a book. In business and economics, 'absorb the cost' means to bear it without passing it on. The word's breadth makes it indispensable in formal and informal registers alike.
Examples
- The merger will see the smaller firm absorbed into a multinational conglomerate employing over forty thousand people. 通过此次合并,该小公司将被一家拥有四万多名员工的跨国集团吸收。La fusión hará que la empresa más pequeña sea absorbida por un conglomerado multinacional con más de cuarenta mil empleados.この合併により、その小さな会社は4万人以上を雇用する多国籍コングロマリットに吸収されることになる。이번 합병으로 그 소규모 기업은 4만 명 이상을 고용하는 다국적 대기업에 흡수될 예정이다.
- Retailers have warned that they cannot continue to absorb rising supply chain costs without passing them on to consumers. 零售商警告称,他们无法继续承受不断上涨的供应链成本而不将其转嫁给消费者。Los minoristas han advertido de que no pueden seguir absorbiendo el aumento de los costes de la cadena de suministro sin repercutirlos en los consumidores.小売業者は、サプライチェーンのコスト上昇を消費者に転嫁せずに吸収し続けることはできないと警告した。소매업체들은 공급망 비용 상승을 소비자에게 전가하지 않고 계속 흡수하는 것은 불가능하다고 경고했다.
- She was so absorbed in her research that she failed to notice the library was about to close. 她太沉浸于研究中,以至于没注意到图书馆即将关门。Estaba tan absorta en su investigación que no se dio cuenta de que la biblioteca estaba a punto de cerrar.彼女は研究に没頭するあまり、図書館が閉館間際であることに気づかなかった。그녀는 연구에 너무 몰두한 나머지 도서관이 곧 문을 닫는다는 것을 알아차리지 못했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: general, business, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin absorbere (to swallow up), from ab- (from) + sorbere (to suck in). Entered English in the early 16th century via French absorber.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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