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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." 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
Examples of suffuse in a Sentence
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
Rather, the story is suffused with an uncommon blend of radiance and resignation, nowhere more rapturously than in the final shot.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2023
Ballads of death and self-destruction suffused with strength and determination.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Now, your colleague is probably a Christian and is either suffused with the spirit at all times or trying to spread the good word (according to his beliefs).
—Roxane Gay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2023
In large part, that was thanks to the work of commercial illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, whose ads were suffused with homoeroticism.
—Dan Avery, NBC News, 7 June 2023
The film as a whole is suffused with a believable world-weariness, carried by people who have endured years of violence and brutality and who no longer have any compunction about ditching morality for the sake of survival.
—Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023
Politeness suffused the car, the family, maybe the era, and nobody remarked on what was happening, even when another car appeared in the distance, speeding toward them.
—Chris Colin, New York Times, 25 May 2023
There’s no common thread of history or medium to be found, but an undercurrent of radical discontent suffuses this academically minded show.
—Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suffuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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
1590, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near suffuse
Cite this Entry
“Suffuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suffuse. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
suffuse
verb
Medical Definition
suffuse
transitive verb
More from Merriam-Webster on suffuse
Nglish: Translation of suffuse for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of suffuse for Arabic Speakers
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