Synonym Chooser

How does the verb suffuse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of suffuse are imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, and leaven. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

When might imbue be a better fit than suffuse?

The meanings of imbue and suffuse largely overlap; however, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

When is it sensible to use infuse instead of suffuse?

The words infuse and suffuse can be used in similar contexts, but infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

Where would ingrain be a reasonable alternative to suffuse?

The words ingrain and suffuse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When can inoculate be used instead of suffuse?

In some situations, the words inoculate and suffuse are roughly equivalent. However, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When is leaven a more appropriate choice than suffuse?

While in some cases nearly identical to suffuse, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

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 suffuse Feel your immortal soul being warmed and suffused with pleasures both rare and immeasurable. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024 Today, jazz suffuses the city so completely that the genre is embedded in funeral traditions here, as brass bands often accompany mourners from the church to the cemetery in a celebratory display. Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025 The rhythmic and narrative thrust of Khan’s Kathak suffuses everything. Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Here and Now Agency/paul vu Music schools can be brutal places, suffused with envy and moistened by tears. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for suffuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suffuse
Verb
  • CoD should be comfortably infused in your prompting mindset when using generative AI.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • Built in 1930 and infused with quintessential French Riviera glamour, the cliffside estate’s most legendary claim to fame is one of its former owners.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • Pros: Instant hydration and plump Cons: Pricey for the amount of product A dermatologist favorite, this product penetrates deep into the skin, increasing the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels, aiding in long-term hydration and plumping.
    Taryn Brooke, Glamour, 14 May 2025
  • There are ongoing awareness campaigns to spread information about energy-efficient appliances and how to cook with them, though the messaging has not yet penetrated everywhere.
    Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The process could not only imbue massive objects with more energy but also amplify electromagnetic waves in a phenomenon called superradiance.
    Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2025
  • The puppets imbued the play with a poetry of motion and an otherworldly sense of wonder.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Discrimination pervades every aspect of the Israeli military judicial system.
    Lynzy Billing, The Dial, 6 May 2025
  • While fears of a sharp economic downturn due to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies are pervading Wall Street, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday that the border-spanning organization does not project a recession this year.
    Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, Dubai has been swift in addressing these concerns, investing heavily in new anti-money laundering laws and safeguards.
    Lissele Pratt, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • Many of the biggest U.S. companies have pledged to invest trillions of dollars in the United States since President Donald Trump started his second term — including six names in our portfolio.
    Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • The visuals are pleasant and colorful, the gameplay and design are unsurprisingly polished and a bubbling sense of adventure permeates every pixel.
    Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
  • Elsewhere, though, anxiety permeates the dilapidated bars, karaoke clubs, and music halls into which Jia pokes his camera.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • The agency, whose fewer than 1,900 federal employees oversee the more than 60,000 contractors who build and maintain the U.S. nuclear arsenal, has struggled to fill crucial safety roles.
    Davis Winkie, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Located on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, Seward is also the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, and the downtown is filled with murals and various art galleries.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • This is a unique public-private partnership effort which involves conservation organizations such as the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to inculcate environmental education across the country.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Roth said employees at the charity would have to be expressing and inculcating religious doctrine, such as requiring participation in a prayer before a meal is served at a soup kitchen.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Suffuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suffuse. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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