pre
occ
u
py
Third Person
preoccupies
Present Participle
preoccupying
Past Tense
preoccupied
Past Participle
preoccupied
1
to engage someone's mind or attention fully, especially with worries or concerns
transitive
- She has been preoccupied with worries about her children's health and safety.
- Recent political scandals have preoccupied voters and dominated public discourse.
- His failure in the project preoccupied him, making him feel anxious.
- The uncertainty about the future preoccupied her, keeping her up at night.
- He was preoccupied with the idea of finding a new job.
2
to take control or fill up a space before anyone else can
transitive
- She preoccupied the front seat of the car, leaving no room for others.
- The first team to arrive preoccupied the most comfortable chairs in the room.
- The children preoccupied the swing set before the others could get there.
- The group preoccupied the best spots on the beach by arriving early.
- The early bird preoccupied the best spot in the parking lot.