leaven

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb leaven differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of leaven are imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When is it sensible to use imbue instead of leaven?

The words imbue and leaven are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

When would infuse be a good substitute for leaven?

The synonyms infuse and leaven are sometimes interchangeable, but infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

In what contexts can ingrain take the place of leaven?

Although the words ingrain and leaven 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 might inoculate be a better fit than leaven?

The meanings of inoculate and leaven 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 could suffuse be used to replace leaven?

While the synonyms suffuse and leaven are close in meaning, 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 leaven The director’s observation of the mutable contracts between sisters, and even more so, fathers and daughters, is intensely affecting in a movie freighted with melancholy but also leavened by notes of surprising humor. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025 Because of this, sourdough may be easier to digest and trigger fewer gastrointestinal symptoms than commercially leavened bread.16 A Quick Review Sourdough bread is a healthy option, but there are plenty of other breads that are packed with nutrition and offer unique health benefits. Jillian Kubala, Health, 20 May 2025 Jewish law strictly forbids owning any chametz, or leavened food, during Passover. Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025 During Passover, Jewish families deep clean their kitchens and other parts of the home to remove every crumb of chametz, or leavened bread, in commemoration of their liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leaven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaven
Verb
  • Oh, for a bit of pace to enliven the first three days’ play.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 8 July 2025
  • Since social interaction enlivens the two of you, start planning double dates with other couples and friends.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Colbert has remained a vocal and animated critic during Trump’s second term, even as his parent company tried to strike a settlement deal to end Trump’s lawsuit over CBS News, which legal experts said was meritless all along.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
  • But as speculation around Miki’s death mounts, the same protective impulse that animates Mama’s care also leads her to abruptly send the boys to England, separating them from Yonko, and from Japan.
    Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Verb
  • An invigorating blend of fruity flavor captures the essence of a tropical breeze.
    Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 July 2025
  • The pristine lakes and alpine rivers offer an invigorating chill for brave souls seeking a thrill.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 18 July 2025
Verb
  • Once the sugar has been infused with strawberry, add 2.5 oz of water and mix to dissolve it.
    Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
  • During a drug and alcohol infused blackout in 1989, Osbourne almost choked his wife Sharon Osbourne to death.
    Daniela Avila, People.com, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • Imbued with empathy, Canseco is poised to extend the ambassador mentality inculcated at the fair in her first-in-her-family journey to college.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
  • Abe was part of a conservative faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and known for his association with Nippon Kaigi, an influential conservative organization that among other goals advocated teaching Japanese history to inculcate national pride.
    Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2022
Verb
  • Louis Thuillier was distraught by his inability to know the plight of his subjects; to view the photographs from the distance of a century can imbue the viewer with a similar melancholy.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
  • By creating a fuller picture which centers Medusa in her own story, Hynes creates a more dexterous Medusa, one imbued with more agency and less tragedy.
    Irenosen Okojie July 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • No one knows exactly how golden oyster mushrooms escaped into the wild, whether from a grow kit, a commercial mushroom farm or outdoor logs inoculated with golden oysters – a home-cultivation technique where mushroom mycelium is placed into logs to colonize the wood and produce mushrooms.
    Aishwarya Veerabahu, The Conversation, 16 July 2025
  • The Rockets are now in a position to trade five of their own firsts — in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2032 — in any future blockbuster that comes to pass in the next 24 months, because the Suns’ picks in 2027 and 2029 inoculate them from the Stepien rule.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • The news people are announcing on repeat a mantra suffused with an English lilt in their mouths, that the fires haven’t gorged themselves on the rainforests like this in over half a century.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
  • What makes the series so delightful is Osman’s wicked sense of humor, and the empathy suffused throughout.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 25 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaven. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on leaven

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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