Definition of infusenext

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 Our editors loved the conditioning feel of its formula, which is infused with shea butter and castor oil, and found that the brush’s dense bristles grabbed every little lash. Micaela English, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2026 The Crème de You Dry-Touch Body Butter is infused with Glossier You, so your body care can smell as good as your perfume. Grace Scollo, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026 Cameroonian painter Marc Padeu is reimagining classical Western paintings by infusing them with inspiration from his hometown. Brittney Melton, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 Everything is infused with melancholy, the unfailing indicator of the fundamental rift between humans and their natural environment. Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infuse
Verb
  • After setting her wildly popular debut The Tiger's Wife in a Balkans suffused with myth and magic, the author turned in subsequent books to the Old West and a city redolent of New York.
    Colin Dwyer, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The threat is still there, suffused into the air like a memory, but for a time the choice between love and survival no longer feels mutually exclusive to Nino and Yasmina.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • The full-bodied physicality with which delas Alas imbues her performance turns such punishingly poignant bits into the stuff of boisterous spectacle.
    Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Partial drafts of his work were carried along with him, soaked in Salinger’s sweat and imbued with his raw, instinctive reactions to conflict.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • E*Trade's head pitched it as clients wanting to invest, trade, bank and plan in one place.
    Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • And yet while some clubs of a similar size were happy to keep selling players to re-invest, Tottenham generally only did so with first-team players in very specific circumstances.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Infuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infuse. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on infuse

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster