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 This elevated quality infuses even the playfully slight songs of the early Beach Boys. Ann Powers, NPR, 11 June 2025 Every release has its own unique backstory, which infuses personality into the characters and helps collectors connect and engage with them on a deeper level. Chelsea Tobin, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025 Additionally, the draping throughout infuses a hit of modernism. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for infuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infuse
Verb
  • This is Kweller’s first new album since his sixteen-year-old son, Dorian, was killed in a car accident two years ago, and the song is suffused with grief, though not in a particularly explicit way.
    Marina Harss, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
  • Fifty-three industrial plants are invited to squat there, in the center of the city, and the smell of decomposition and putrefaction and acidification, a stew of sulfur, chlorine, lye, and ammonia, suffuses the air.
    Caroline Fraser June 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • That last step has given this spirit a deep, dark color and imbued the liquid with notes of pine, roasted pecans, dark chocolate, and caramelized brown sugar.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 June 2025
  • Ducati intends to imbue each of its off-roading motorcycles with the same level of craftsmanship, precision engineering and attention to detail that the rest of its lineup receives.
    Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infuse. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on infuse

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