Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

diffuse

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of diffuse

using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
  • a diffuse speech that took a great deal of time to make a very small point
Synonyms of diffuse

circuitous, circumlocutory, garrulous, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy
Words Related to diffuse

chatty, communicative, conversational, gabby, loquacious, talkative, talky, voluble

periphrastic

redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous

embellished, embroidered, exaggerated

bombastic, gaseous, gassy, grandiloquent, highfalutin (also hifalutin)
Near Antonyms of diffuse

brief, short

aphoristic, epigrammatic, sententious

compendious, summary

abbreviated, abridged, condensed, shortened

abrupt, blunt, brusque (also brusk), curt, laconic, snippy
Antonyms of diffuse

compact, concise, crisp, pithy, succinct, terse

Synonym Discussion of diffuse

wordy, verbose, prolix, diffuse mean using more words than necessary to express thought. wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity.
    • a wordy speech
verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.
    • the verbose position papers
prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.
    • habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas
diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.
    • diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories

Learn More about diffuse

  1. See words that rhyme with diffuse Dictionary: Definition of diffuse Medical Dictionary: Definition of diffuse Spanish Central: Translation of diffuse Nglish: Translation of diffuse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of diffuse for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up diffuse? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games