permeate
verb
per·me·ate
ˈpər-mē-ˌāt 
permeated; permeating
: to diffuse through or penetrate something
1
: to spread or diffuse through
a room permeated with tobacco smoke
2
: to pass through the pores or interstices of
Did you know?
Permeate was borrowed into English in the 17th century from Latin permeatus, which comes from the prefix per- ("through") and the verb meare, meaning "to go" or "to pass." Meare hasn't exactly permeated English. Aside from permeate itself, its other English descendants include the relatively common permeable as well as the medical meatus ("a natural body passage") and the downright rare irremeable ("offering no possibility of return").
Examples of permeate in a Sentence
The water permeated the sand.
The smell of baking bread permeated the kitchen.
A feeling of anxiety permeated the office as we rushed to meet the deadline.
The rain permeated through the soil.
Recent Examples on the Web
The cooler conditions that had permeated El Caballero Country Club throughout the early part of the week gave way to warmer temperatures during the second round of the 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship on Friday.
—
Bob Buttitta, Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026
The stench permeates passing cars with the windows up, lingering inside for days.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The clients wanted to make sure that a real Maine flavor permeated the place, and tasked Rockwell’s team with tracking down some local antiques.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
Monsters roam the streets at night, spiders and cicadas and worse stalk the surrounding forest, and existential dread permeates all the townspeople trapped within.
—Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for permeate
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Bob Buttitta, Daily News, 18 Apr. 2026
The stench permeates passing cars with the windows up, lingering inside for days.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The clients wanted to make sure that a real Maine flavor permeated the place, and tasked Rockwell’s team with tracking down some local antiques.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
Monsters roam the streets at night, spiders and cicadas and worse stalk the surrounding forest, and existential dread permeates all the townspeople trapped within.
—Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for permeate
Cite this Entry
“Permeate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permeate. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
permeate
verb
per·me·ate
ˈpər-mē-ˌāt
permeated; permeating
1
: to spread throughout
a room permeated with the scent of flowers
2
: to pass through something which has pores or small openings or is of loose texture : seep through
water permeates sand
permeation
noun
ˌpər-mē-ˈā-shən
Medical Definition
permeate
verb
per·me·ate
ˈpər-mē-ˌāt
permeated; permeating
: to diffuse through or penetrate something
: to pass through the pores or interstices of
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