suffuse

verb

suf·​fuse sə-ˈfyüz 

suffused; suffusing

transitive verb

: to spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light : flush, fill

the northern horizon was suffused with a deep red glow

—P. M. Leschak

suffusion

sə-ˈfyü-zhən 

noun

suffusive

sə-ˈfyü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

Did you know?

The Latin word suffendere, ancestor to suffuse by way of Latin suffūsus, has various meanings that shed light on our modern word, among them "to pour on or in (as an addition)" and "to fill with a liquid, color, or light that wells up from below." It’s no surprise, then, that suffuse refers to the action of fluid or light spreading over or through something, as when light fills a dark room when you crack open a door. Suffundere is a blend of the prefix sub- ("under" or "beneath") and the verb fundere ("to pour" or "to send forth"). Other English verbs related to fundere continue the theme of pouring or spreading: diffuse ("to pour out and spread freely"), effuse ("to pour or flow out"), transfuse ("to cause to pass from one to another"), and the verb fuse itself when it's used to mean "to meld or join."

Synonyms

• endue
• indue
• imbue
• inculcate
• infuse
• ingrain
• engrain
• inoculate
• invest
• steep

Choose the Right Synonym for suffuse

infuse, suffuse, imbue, ingrain, inoculate, leaven 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

suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

Examples of suffuse in a Sentence

Morning light suffused the room.

she was suffused with an overwhelming feeling of liberation as her horse broke into a gallop

Recent Examples on the Web

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

His dialogue was abundant and suffused with paradox and irony. —Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025

Feel your immortal soul being warmed and suffused with pleasures both rare and immeasurable. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin suffūsus, past participle of suffundere "to pour on or in (as an addition), cause (a liquid, color, light) to well up or rise to the surface, fill with a liquid, color or light that wells up from below," from suf-, assimilated form of sub- sub- + fundere "to pour, shed, cast, send forth, disperse" — more at found entry 5

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for suffuse

• accrues
• accuse
• aircrews
• amuse
• bamboos
• breakthroughs
• canoes
• cashews
• chartreuse
• confuse
• construes
• defuse

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Kids Definition

suffuse

verb

suf·​fuse sə-ˈfyüz 

suffused; suffusing

: to spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light

suffusion

-ˈfyü-zhən 

noun

suffusive

-ˈfyü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

Medical Definition

suffuse

transitive verb

suf·​fuse sə-ˈfyüz 

suffused; suffusing

: to flush or spread over or through in the manner of a fluid and especially blood