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 Watch Ghosts on Paramount+ Renowned filmmaker David Lynch revolutionized television when infusing his cinematic style into this early-'90s mystery series. Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 OpenAI this week released ChatGPT Atlas, a desktop web browser infused with the popular AI chatbot. Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025 The difference is that the French have taken prep’s building blocks and infused it with their own sense of élan. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2025 Each one is infused with heart and imagination. William Jones, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infuse
Verb
  • Smith suffuses the book with a kind of clinical detachment, even as the dread mounts with each page.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
  • His music, stuffed with live instrumentation and harmonic sophistication, is suffused with the sound and spirit of Sly Stone, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye, among many others.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Saving Denji’s life, Pochita and the young man make a deal to fuse, imbuing him with the ability to turn parts of his body into Devil-destroying chainsaws.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This film imbues all of the psychological horror and weirdness of David Lynch’s original Twin Peaks series with a level of graphic horror that likely wouldn’t have flown on ABC.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on infuse

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