diffuse 1 of 2

Definition of diffusenext

diffuse

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective diffuse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of diffuse are prolix, verbose, and wordy. While all these words mean "using more words than necessary to express thought," diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.

diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories

When would prolix be a good substitute for diffuse?

The meanings of prolix and diffuse largely overlap; however, prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.

habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas

When is verbose a more appropriate choice than diffuse?

While the synonyms verbose and diffuse are close in meaning, verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.

the verbose position papers

Where would wordy be a reasonable alternative to diffuse?

Although the words wordy and diffuse have much in common, wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity.

a wordy speech

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of diffuse
Adjective
This is more diffuse, more ambient, more pervasive, less about paying for exposure than about engineering the conditions under which exposure feels inevitable. Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026 On April 25, 2025, Alicia-Adele Axiak, from the town of Caerphilly in Wales, died from a type of cancerous brain tumor known as a diffuse midline glioma (DIPG), the charity Brain Tumour Research shared in a release. Adam England, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Verb
It’s designed to diffuse special-interest power and eliminate politics from municipal hiring, firing and contracting. Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 After four years of such calls, these front-line mental health care workers have learned how to diffuse such situations, in this case, providing contacts for local therapists likely to be able to meet quickly and assigning a case manager to start the process of restoring Medi-Cal coverage. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for diffuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diffuse
Adjective
  • Spinella shucks off sentimentality, always showing us Con’s offhand humor and sometimes nervous, defensive rambling.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 3 June 2026
  • Carnivores shouldn’t miss out on Peter upstairs—a rambling dining venue perched on the 24th floor, high above the rooms, that looks like a glitzy Vegas club complete with purple accents and ethereal, Avatar-esque light sculptures.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Officers had to use a water cannon to disperse some of the crowds.
    Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 11 June 2026
  • On the seventh floor terrace, the service is well-dispersed and available to help customers book cabana suites, poolside lounge chairs and even poolside massages by their Sisley Spa staff.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • National and international media outlets immediately seized on the moment with exaggerated reports about the shooting’s proximity to the event.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
  • Willmett and Harris are clearly uninterested in euphemisms, so there’s an exaggerated naivety to their lyrics.
    Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • Knowing someone — or of someone — who is gay or lesbian has long tended to dispel falsehoods and quell fears that might exist.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
  • In that vein, Hovis also wants to dispel the idea that native planting automatically translates to a wildflower garden or something that’s messy and unkempt.
    Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
Adjective
  • Llorca recalls the technician being talkative and upbeat throughout most of the exam.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
  • Some cat breeds are particularly chatty, and their talkative nature is perfectly normal.
    Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • That statement stood in stark contrast to the longstanding stodginess of the Kings, which dissipated into flat-out ineffectiveness under Jim Hiller for three quarters of last season until he was sacked.
    Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 11 June 2026
  • Position the computing capabilities in orbit, where the solar array is always in sunlight, where there is no grid connection to wait for, and where waste heat dissipates into a vacuum rather than into a water body.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • According to the researchers, the findings suggest that infants become sensitive to the communicative and intentional nature of human gaze during the first year of life.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
  • Being multiliterate also implies that the contemporary hypertext and hypermedia user is endowed with a capacity of discernment regarding which semiotic modes can be most efficiently employed to carry a specific communicative load.
    Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • Scientists have long grouped sharks together as a natural evolutionary unit, meaning every shark species shares a common ancestor that rays and skates do not.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
  • The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost.
    Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Diffuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffuse. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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