Standard Lemma guide

preoccupy

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹɪˈɒkjupaɪ/
  • General-American: /pɹiˈɑkjupaɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R IY0 AA1 K Y AH0 P AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To distract; to draw attention elsewhere.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The father tried to preoccupy the child with his keys.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To worry or concern (someone) so as to distract them.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • It always preoccupies me when he acts like this.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exercise

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To occupy or take possession of beforehand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or occupy urgently or obsessively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His work preoccupies him
  • The matter preoccupies her completely--she cannot think of anything else

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: control, command

Narrower terms: haunt, obsess, ghost, prepossess

5

verb

Meaning 5

occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the army preoccupied the hills

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: assume, usurp, seize, take over, arrogate

History

Etymology

From pre- + occupy, after Middle French preoccuper, and its source, Latin praeoccupo, praeoccupare. Doublet of preoccupate, now obsolete.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разсейвам (razsejvam) — distract
  • Finnish: siirtää jonkun huomio johonkin — distract
  • Finnish: kiinnittää jonkun huomio johonkin — distract
  • Finnish: askarruttaa — distract
  • Greek: απασχολώ (apascholó) — distract