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 The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse. 5. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025 My first impression of Dina was from playing the game and watching some of the first season and picking up on the comedy that’s infused there. Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025 Plus, it’s also infused with vitamin E to slow down long-term skin damage as well as hyaluronic acid to ensure lasting hydration and an improvement to fine lines and wrinkles. Denise Primbet, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2025 But the defense has been infused with exciting young talent. Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infuse
Verb
  • Pak Bae The music of the indie rock band Japanese Breakfast is suffused with longing.
    Lindsay Totty, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner embraces melancholy in new album The music of the indie rock band Japanese Breakfast is suffused with longing.
    NPR Staff, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In Peter Ames Carlin’s biography of Wilson, Catch a Wave, Love recalled sweeping Wilson’s house for drugs and trying to imbue his chaotic life with some semblance of order.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
  • As smoke from Palace’s pyrotechnics end imbued the pitch in the first 15 seconds, Emiliano Martinez rolled his studs on the ball and held possession for a similar length of time.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Infuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infuse. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on infuse

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