oc·cu·py ( k y -p  )tr.v. oc·cu·pied, oc·cu·py·ing, oc·cu·pies 1. To fill up (time or space): a lecture that occupied three hours. 2. To dwell or reside in. 3. To hold or fill (an office or position). 4. To seize possession of and maintain control over by or as if by conquest. 5. To engage or employ the attention or concentration of: occupied the children with coloring books.
[Middle English occupien, alteration of Old French occuper, from Latin occup re, to seize : ob-, intensive pref.; see ob- + capere, to take; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
occu·pier n. |
occupy Verb [-pies, -pying, -pied] 1. to live, stay, or work in (a house, flat, or office) 2. to keep (someone or someone's mind) busy 3. to take up (time or space) 4. to move in and take control of (a country or other place): soldiers have occupied the country's television station 5. to fill or hold (a position or office) [Latin occupare to seize hold of]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | occupy - keep busy with; "She busies herself with her butterfly collection"work - exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor" putter, potter - work lightly; "The old lady is pottering around in the garden" smatter, play around, dabble - work with in an amateurish manner; "She dabbles in astronomy"; "He plays around with investments but he never makes any money" | | 2. | occupy - live (in a certain place); "She resides in Princeton"; "he occupies two rooms on the top floor"move in - occupy a place; "The crowds are moving in" stay at - reside temporarily; "I'm staying at the Hilton" squat - occupy (a dwelling) illegally inhabit, live, populate, dwell - inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of; "People lived in Africa millions of years ago"; "The people inhabited the islands that are now deserted"; "this kind of fish dwells near the bottom of the ocean"; "deer are populating the woods" crash - occupy, usually uninvited; "My son's friends crashed our house last weekend" | | 3. | occupy - occupy the whole of; "The liquid fills the container"crowd - fill or occupy to the point of overflowing; "The students crowded the auditorium" take up - take up time or space; "take up the slack" be - occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere; "Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" | | 4. | occupy - be on the mind of; "I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift" | | 5. | occupy - march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation; "Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939"attack, assail - launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week" infest, overrun - invade in great numbers; "the roaches infested our kitchen" | | 6. | occupy - require (time or space); "It took three hours to get to work this morning"; "This event occupied a very short time"expend, use - use up, consume fully; "The legislature expended its time on school questions" be - spend or use time; "I may be an hour" | | 7. | occupy - consume all of one's attention or time; "Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely"involve - occupy or engage the interest of; "His story completely involved me during the entire afternoon" consume - engage fully; "The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy" rivet - hold (someone's attention); "The discovery of the skull riveted the paleontologists" interest - excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of | | 8. | occupy - assume, as of positions or roles; "She took the job as director of development"; "he occupies the position of manager"; "the young prince will soon occupy the throne"assume, take up, strike, take - occupy or take on; "He assumes the lotus position"; "She took her seat on the stage"; "We took our seats in the orchestra"; "She took up her position behind the tree"; "strike a pose" do work, work - be employed; "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college" |
occupy verb 1. inhabit, own, live in, stay in Scot. be established in, dwell in, be in residence in, establish yourself in, ensconce yourself in, tenant, reside in, lodge in, take up residence in, make your home, abide in << OPPOSITE vacate verb 2. invade, take over, capture, seize, conquer, keep, hold, garrison, overrun, annex, take possession of, colonize << OPPOSITE withdraw verb 5. (often passive) engage, interest, involve, employ, busy, entertain, absorb, amuse, divert, preoccupy, immerse, hold the attention of, engross, keep busy or occupied  Translations occupy [ˈɔkjupaɪ] vt [+ seat, post, time] → ocupar [+ house]; habitar; to occupy o.s. with or by doing ( as job) → dedicarse a hacer; (to pass time) → entretenerse haciendo;
 occupy [ˈɔkjupaɪ] vt → occuper;
 occupy [ˈɔkjupaɪ] vt [+ house, office] → bewohnen [+ place etc]; belegen [+ building, country etc]; besetzen [+ time, attention]; beanspruchen [+ position, space]; einnehmen;
 occupy [ˈɔkjupaɪ] vt → occupare; to occupy o.s. by doing → occuparsi a fare;
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