Surrounding or swallowing something up completely, often in a destructive or overwhelming way.
From en- (prefix) + gulf (from Italian golfo, from Greek kolpos meaning 'bosom or bay'). The word originally meant to surround like a gulf does, then expanded to mean overwhelming completely.
Engulfing describes that moment when a wave completely swallows a surfer or when darkness engulfs a room—it's the idea of being totally surrounded and consumed by something much bigger.
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