embroil
verb /ɪmˈbrɔɪl/
/ɪmˈbrɔɪl/
[often passive] (formal)Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they embroil | /ɪmˈbrɔɪl/ /ɪmˈbrɔɪl/ |
he / she / it embroils | /ɪmˈbrɔɪlz/ /ɪmˈbrɔɪlz/ |
past simple embroiled | /ɪmˈbrɔɪld/ /ɪmˈbrɔɪld/ |
past participle embroiled | /ɪmˈbrɔɪld/ /ɪmˈbrɔɪld/ |
-ing form embroiling | /ɪmˈbrɔɪlɪŋ/ /ɪmˈbrɔɪlɪŋ/ |
- to involve somebody/yourself in an argument or a difficult situation
- be/become embroiled (in something) He became embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours.
- embroil somebody/yourself (in something) I was reluctant to embroil myself in his problems.
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from French embrouiller ‘to muddle’.