(occupies, ~ing, occupied)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
The people who ~ a building or a place are the people who live or work there.
There were over 40 tenants, all ~ing one wing of the hospital...
Land is, in most instances, purchased by those who ~ it.
VERB: V n, V n
2.
If a room or something such as a seat is occupied, someone is using it, so that it is not available for anyone else.
The hospital bed is no longer occupied by his wife...
I saw three camp beds, two of which were occupied.
? vacant, free
V-PASSIVE: be V-ed, be V-ed
3.
If a group of people or an army occupies a place or country, they move into it, using force in order to gain control of it.
U.S. forces now ~ a part of the country...
...the occupied territories.
VERB: V n, V-ed
4.
If someone or something occupies a particular place in a system, process, or plan, they have that place.
Men still ~ more positions of power than women.
= hold
VERB: V n
5.
If something occupies you, or if you ~ yourself, your time, or your mind with it, you are busy doing that thing or thinking about it.
Her parliamentary career has occupied all of her time...
He hurried to take the suitcases and ~ himself with packing the car...
I would deserve to be pitied if I couldn’t ~ myself.
VERB: V n, V pron-refl with n, V pron-refl, also V n with n
occupied
Keep the brain occupied...
I had forgotten all about it because I had been so occupied with other things.
ADJ: v-link ADJ, oft ADJ with n
6.
If something occupies you, it requires your efforts, attention, or time.
I had other matters to ~ me, during the day at least...
This challenge will ~ Europe for a generation or more.
VERB: V n, V n
7.
If something occupies a particular area or place, it fills or covers it, or exists there.
Even quite small aircraft ~ a lot of space...
Bookshelves occupied most of the living room walls.
= take up
VERB: V n, V n