to succeed in attracting and keeping somebody’s attention and interest
It is a movie that engages both the mind and the eye.
Their pleas failed to engage any sympathy.
to engage the public/audience/viewer/reader
It was difficult to engage the students at first.
The party is attempting to engage young voters politically.
to employ a person, company, etc. to do a particular job
engage somebody/something She has already engaged a lawyer.
We will have to engage the services of a translator.
engage somebody/something as something He was immediately engaged as a consultant.
engage somebody/something to do something Karl Böhm engaged her to sing in Vienna.
to become involved with and try to understand something/somebody
She has the ability to engage with young minds.
to begin fighting with somebody
engage somebody He ordered his men to engage the enemy.
engage with somebody The fleet sailed out of Cadiz to engage with the enemy.
when a part of a machine engages, or when you engage it, it fits together with another part of the machine and the machine begins to work
The cogwheels are not engaging.
engage with something One cogwheel engages with the next.
engage something Engage the clutch before selecting a gear.