A method of making an embossed air-laid absorbent sheet material includes depositing a dry web of fibers on a foraminous support; compacting the fiber web; embossing the compacted fiber web with an embossing roll provided with a plurality of sinuate bosses radially projecting circumferentially around the embossing roll to provide the fiber web with a functional emboss pattern including a plurality of continuous sinuate compressed regions extending in a machine direction of the fiber web, and bonding the fiber web to produce the embossed air-laid absorbent sheet material. The emboss pattern is operative to preferentially convey sorbed liquid along the plurality of continuous sinuate compressed regions of the fiber web.