Definition of IMBUE

Choose the Right Synonym for imbue

infuse, suffuse, imbue, ingrain, inoculate, leaven 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 suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality. a room suffused with light imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being. imbue students with intellectual curiosity ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait. clung to ingrained habits inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety. an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality. a serious play leavened with comic moments

Imbue Has Old French Roots

Like its synonym infuse, imbue implies the introduction of one thing into another so as to affect it throughout. A nation can be imbued with pride, for example, or a photograph might be imbued with a sense of melancholy. In the past imbue has also been used synonymously with imbrue, an obscure word meaning "to drench or stain," but etymologists do not think the two words are related. Imbue derives from the Latin verb imbuere, meaning "to dye, wet, or moisten." Imbrue has been traced back through Anglo-French and Old French to the Latin verb bibere, meaning "to drink."

Examples of imbue in a Sentence

A feeling of optimism imbues her works. her training at the school for the deaf imbued her with a sense of purpose that she had never known before

Recent Examples on the Web

The latest marketing gimmick from her aunt/manager, Catherine (Susan Pourfar), is Ashley Too, an Alexa-like doll spouting positive affirmations, whose AI is supposedly imbued with Ashley O.'s actual personality. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Black Mirror is back for S5, but it might be running out of fresh ideas," 10 June 2019 Aside from the requisite poop and pee poems, also getting a nod are runny noses, puke, dirty rooms, cookie-stealing (and subsequent lying), toys, sports, vacations and lots, lots more – and all are imbued with an underlying deep love. — Lynn Carey, The Mercury News, "Sanderson Dean’s ‘Stark Raving Dad’ turns frazzled parenting into poetry," 10 June 2019 Though imbued with the mystical Force and populated by muppets traveling at hyper-speed, the galaxy far, far away came off like one that Earth’s people could—and maybe already do—live in. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Star Wars Park Is a Space-Junk Fantasy," 5 June 2019 Aside from her meticulous attention to design and construction, designer Michele Clapton imbues her costumes with significance and foreshadowing. — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, "'Game of Thrones' Costume Designer Michele Clapton Spills Her Season 8 Secrets," 8 Apr. 2019 Other things that stuck in this big impression: far less casualness and far more of something in between, a tone that was imbued with refinement and sophistication—the real craftwork of luxury fashion—but one that was still approachable. — Vogue, "Vogue Runway’s Critics Weigh In on the Fall 2019 Menswear Collections—And the Seismic Shifts Changing the Business," 22 Jan. 2019 The Victorian era’s fictional male detectives stand on the shoulders of real male police officers whose precedent and authority imbue the fictional counterparts with a modicum of realism. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Victorian literature was full of lady detectives," 15 Dec. 2018 Dutton imbued Roc with a fierce work ethic and played him with great dignity. — David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, "Hate Roseanne if you want, but you have to appreciate her show," 13 Apr. 2018 Whatever spirit was imbued in those cemetery crosses had to be ever vigilant. — Margot Dougherty, WSJ, "In Ireland, a Getaway Far, Far Away," 6 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imbue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.