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Definition of "ingrained" []

  • Firmly established; deep-seated: ingrained prejudice; the ingrained habits of a lifetime. (adjective)
  • Worked deeply into the texture or fiber: a carpet disfigured by ingrained dirt. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "ingrained" in a sentence
  • "I've always wondered if there is something genetically inherent in a redhead to be like this, or whether it's a habit ingrained from a lifetime of people just expecting that one will pop off at any given moment."
  • "Since France is an old country, with a certain ingrained skepticism toward change, necessary reforms take more time to be accepted."
  • "So firmly ingrained is the combat mentality that neither party believes the opposing candidate is capable of "winning" the election — only that its own candidate or campaign is capable of losing it."