encroach
verb /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ/
/ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they encroach | /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ/ /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ/ |
| he / she / it encroaches | /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃɪz/ /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃɪz/ |
| past simple encroached | /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃt/ /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃt/ |
| past participle encroached | /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃt/ /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃt/ |
| -ing form encroaching | /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃɪŋ/ /ɪnˈkrəʊtʃɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] encroach (on/upon something) (disapproving) to begin to affect or use up too much of somebody’s time, rights, personal life, etc.
- I won't encroach on your time any longer.
- He never allows work to encroach upon his family life.
- Gradually the negative feelings encroached into her work.
- [intransitive] encroach (on/upon something) to slowly begin to cover more and more of an area
- The growing town soon encroached on the surrounding countryside.
- the encroaching tide (= that is coming in)
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘obtain unlawfully, seize’; formerly also as incroach): from Old French encrochier ‘seize, fasten upon’, from en- ‘in, on’ + crochier (from croc ‘hook’, from Old Norse krókr).