embrace means an act of putting arms around someone and bringing the person close to the chest; a hug. It carries an Arena rating of 1937, earned across 39 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, embrace ranks #35 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #558 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #691 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #921 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
embrace is pronounced /ɛmˈbɹes/.
Why “embrace” is a great word
To clasp someone in the arms as a sign of affection or acceptance, or the act of such clasping and the state of full acceptance. From Middle English embracen, from Old French embracer, from Late Latin *imbracchiāre, from Latin in- ("in") + bracchium ("arm"), first attested as a verb in the 14th century and as a noun meaning 'hug' in 1599. Unlike "accept," which can imply a passive or reluctant reception, or "clip," an archaic term for a mere physical grasp, to embrace is to welcome with willing enthusiasm. It is the palpable relief of a homecoming hug that melts the spine, the warm enclosure that silences a child's fear, and the public, arms-wide declaration of a new idea—a quiet testament that the deepest understandings are not merely reached, but held.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English embracen (“to clasp in one's arms, embrace; to reach out eagerly for, welcome; to enfold, entwine; to ensnare, entangle; to twist, wrap around; to gird, put on; to lace; to be in or put into bonds; to put a shield on the arm; to grasp (a shield or spear); to acquire, take hold of; to receive; to undertake; to affect, influence; to incite; to unlawfully influence a jury; to surround; to conceal, cover; to shelter; to protect; to comfort; to comprehend, understand”) [and other forms], from Old French embracer, embracier (“to kiss”) (modern French embrasser (“to kiss; (dated) to embrace, hug”)), from Late Latin *imbracchiāre, from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’)) + bracchium (“arm”). The English word is analysable as em- + brace. The noun is d
noun
- An act of putting arms around someone and bringing the person close to the chest; a hug.
- An enclosure partially or fully surrounding someone or something.e.g.“When he reached the ridge the outlying fog crept across the summit, caught him in its embrace, and wrapped him from her gaze.” — 1882, Bret Harte, “Flip: A California Romance. Chapter II.”, in Flip; and Found at Blazing Star, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 44:
- Full acceptance (of something).
- An act of enfolding or including.
verb
- To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug.
- To seize (something) eagerly or with alacrity; to accept or take up with cordiality; to welcome.e.g.“I wholeheartedly embrace the new legislation.”
- To submit to; to undergo.
- To encircle; to enclose, to encompass.
- To enfold, to include (ideas, principles, etc.); to encompass.e.g.“Natural philosophy embraces many sciences.”
- To fasten on, as armour.
- To accept (someone) as a friend; to accept (someone's) help gladly.
- To attempt to influence (a court, jury, etc.) corruptly; to practise embracery.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.