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embrace

em·brace/ɛmˈbɹes/verb, noun

embrace is spelled E-M-B-R-A-C-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (em·brace). It appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, embrace means “To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in embrace?

Letters7: E-M-B-R-A-C-E
Syllables2: em·brace
In writing14 times per million words; the 5,496th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is embrace?

Embrace appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce embrace?

  • /ɛmˈbɹes/
  • /ɛmˈbɹeɪs/
  • /ɪmˈbɹeɪs/

Embrace has 2 syllables, split em·brace in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-embrace.oga, En-us-embrace.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Commander_Keane-embrace.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of embrace

  • embraces present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • embracing participle, present
  • embraced participle, past
  • imbrace

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does embrace mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug.

  2. 2

    To seize (something) eagerly or with alacrity; to accept or take up with cordiality; to welcome.

    I wholeheartedly embrace the new legislation.

  3. 3

    To submit to; to undergo.

  4. 4

    To encircle; to enclose, to encompass.

  5. 5

    To enfold, to include (ideas, principles, etc.); to encompass.

    Natural philosophy embraces many sciences.

  6. 6

    obsoleterareTo fasten on, as armour.

  7. 7

    obsoleteTo accept (someone) as a friend; to accept (someone's) help gladly.

  8. 8

    obsoleteTo attempt to influence (a court, jury, etc.) corruptly; to practise embracery.

noun

  1. 1

    An act of putting arms around someone and bringing the person close to the chest; a hug.

  2. 2

    An enclosure partially or fully surrounding someone or something.

  3. 3

    Full acceptance (of something).

  4. 4

    An act of enfolding or including.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate embrace?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of embrace: EEE.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Embrace in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchétreindre, embrasser (to clasp (someone or each other) in the arms…), accolade, embrassement, embrassade, étreinte (act of putting arms around someone and bringing…)
Germanumarmen (to clasp (someone or each other) in the arms…), Umarmung (act of putting arms around someone and bringing…), annehmen (to enfold, to include (ideas, principles, etc.))
Portugueseabraçar (to clasp (someone or each other) in the arms…), abraço (act of putting arms around someone and bringing…)
Spanishabrazar, embrazar (to clasp (someone or each other) in the arms…), abrazo (act of putting arms around someone and bringing…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

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