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 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 But the filmmakers leaven the mood before the hammer drops with a lovely interlude at the Omaha Zoo, an idea planted in Ella’s head by a friendly young mother in line to pay at a gas station. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025 Some endearing personalities and moments leaven the more nerve-wracking episodes. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025 There are leavening notes here and there: a jazzy sliver of cruciferousness from the cabbage that comes with the kalua pork, or the sharp whistle of vinegar that runs through the thin, sweet sauce drizzled over the juicy, panko-crisped chicken katsu (my clear favorite of the proteins). Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leaven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaven
Verb
  • Edmonton drew within 3-1 on the first goal of the Final from McDavid, briefly enlivening the home crowd.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
  • Throughout, Perry’s documentary shares a problem endemic to thematic studies of movies, whether academic or popular: its cross-section is necessarily art-indifferent, and not all the footage here is enlivening.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • To understand the ideas animating Trump’s world, a good place to start is Buckley’s.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
  • The live-action version of the 2010 animated hit How to Train Your Dragon is projected by Deadline to earn $35.7 million in its second-weekend frame from 4,373 theaters, which is below the trade publication’s forecast of $40 million earlier this week.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • Hang glide from atop sand dunes with Kitty Hawk Kites during an invigorating three-hour beginner’s lesson.
    Kate Lewis, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Leah’s inheritance becomes the inciting incident in a series of events that unravel her life: Her trip awakens a latent violence in her husband and an invigorating independent streak in her.
    Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Additionally, using a gentle, acne-fighting body wash infused with ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria, and exfoliating glycolic and salicylic acids is beneficial for treating acne and reducing the appearance of dark spots over time.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 June 2025
  • Geometric lines and flattened fields of colour are infused with influences of Modigliani and Russian avant‑garde art, combined with decorative patterns inspired by Godsk’s upbringing in the fairground community.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 28 June 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
  • His seamless execution of steps and elegance of line form but one part of his distinctive quality; how his technique is imbued with expressive feeling is what makes his performances so potent.
    Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 28 June 2025
  • All three actors imbue their roles with a quiet dignity.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Those patterns were embossed into the surface of flat polystyrene chips, which were subsequently inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other types of bacteria.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 June 2025
  • Now proactively address those issues and inoculate yourself.
    Aleksandr Yampolskiy, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • That kind of fine-dining lineage suffused itself into the subtext of the 2025 awards.
    Caroline Hatchett, Robb Report, 19 June 2025
  • Above all, it was suffused with a belief that Italian cuisine was one of civilization’s great achievements.
    The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leaven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaven. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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