Synonym Chooser

How does the verb infuse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of infuse are imbue, ingrain, inoculate, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

When could imbue be used to replace infuse?

While the synonyms imbue and infuse are close in meaning, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

In what contexts can ingrain take the place of infuse?

Although the words ingrain and infuse have much in common, ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When is inoculate a more appropriate choice than infuse?

The meanings of inoculate and infuse largely overlap; however, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When can leaven be used instead of infuse?

The synonyms leaven and infuse are sometimes interchangeable, but leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When would suffuse be a good substitute for infuse?

While in some cases nearly identical to infuse, suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

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 infuse The skin-loving formulation is fast-absorbing and infused with ingredients that promote deep hydration including squalane, snow mushroom fungi, seaweed extracts, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025 Guests who book a massage have their choice of regular oil or oil infused with THC and CBD, which can help relax the muscles and reduce inflammation. Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025 Harbstreet says she’s been recommending it to clients for years as a way to infuse everything from salads to pasta with that much more protein. Audrey Bruno, SELF, 25 Sep. 2025 Take that same sense of joy and infuse it into your everyday life. Essence, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infuse
Verb
  • The film certainly steers clear of Emmerichian overdrive, but it is suffused with hopelessness — on both an intimate and an epic scale.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
  • But the hot gas that suffused the space between the galaxies in each cluster would have crashed head-on.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rounding out the barbecue bowls is a set of 10 sauces that imbue various flavors and spice into the dish, including sugar water, lemon juice, oyster sauce, hot chili oil and Li’s house sauce.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Following their success came a sophomore line filled with international influences—African textiles, midcentury-style seating, and textural sconces imbued with Parisian flair.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infuse. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on infuse

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