gerund or present participle
Using a particular place or amount of space.
The cat is occupying the chair.
Several boxes are occupying the hallway.
American English
How to pronounce occupying
verbB2Common word
AHKyuhpaiihng
/ˈɑk.jəˌpaɪ.ɪŋ/
4 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of occupy
Occupying commonly follows am, is, or are to describe an action in progress. It can also introduce an activity, as in “Occupying a seat for hours can be uncomfortable.”
Using a particular place or amount of space.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
gerund or present participle
Keeping someone busy, or keeping yourself busy, with an activity.
She is occupying herself with a book.
The game is occupying the children for an hour.
gerund or present participle
Taking control of a country, city, or building by military force.
The soldiers are occupying the city.
The army is occupying the building tonight.
gerund or present participle
Holding a particular job or position, especially an important one.
She is occupying a senior position at the bank.
This season, he is occupying the role of team captain.
Useful expressions
to keep yourself busy by doing or using something
I occupied myself with a crossword.
to be busy doing or dealing with something
She was occupied with a client.
Related words & forms
The spelling changes to i in occupies and occupied, but the y stays in occupying.