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suffuse

verb
suf·​fuse | \ sə-ˈfyüz How to pronounce suffuse (audio) \
suffused; suffusing

Definition of suffuse

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
Other Words from suffuse Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about suffuse

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Other Words from suffuse

suffusion \ sə-​ˈfyü-​zhən How to pronounce suffusion (audio) \ noun
suffusive \ sə-​ˈfyü-​siv How to pronounce suffusive (audio) , -​ziv \ adjective

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

Did You Know?

If you are cold or embarrassed, your cheeks may become suffused with a red glow, as though coated on one side with paint. This is reflected in the word’s etymology. Suffuse derives from Latin suffundere, meaning "to pour beneath," a blend of the prefix sub- ("under") and fundere ("to pour"). Other 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."

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

 How to Be an Antiracist is a journal of Kendi's efforts to free himself of the ideological manacles clamped upon him by a society suffused with white supremacism, capitalist exploitation, misogyny and the repression of unconventional sexuality. — Dallas News, "A black author grapples with his own racism in 'How to Be an Antiracist'," 26 Aug. 2019 Nan Goldin’s pictures of herself and her friends all tangled up in each other, the color shots suffused with adulation and danger. — Eryn Loeb, Longreads, "When Friendship Fades But the Images Linger," 9 Aug. 2019 The cult of the Lost Cause embraced an apocryphal history suffused with nostalgia for a world of valorous Confederates, kindly masters, and contented slaves. — Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, "Race, History, and Memories of a Virginia Girlhood," 18 July 2019 The music that resulted is suffused with steel guitar and layer upon layer of horns and strings and sundry other instruments, all of it framing the remarkable, reverberating force of Yola’s singing voice. — Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, "Singer Yola’s arrival was a long time coming," 24 July 2019 Similar elements suffuse the morose Euphoria, which stars actor-singer-author-activist Zendaya as 17-year-old drug addict Rue Bennett. — Judy Berman, Time, "In HBO’s Bleak Gen Z Drama, Euphoria Is the Opposite of Happiness," 13 June 2019 But close behind was Canada’s Kevin Chen, who made the bold choice of performing two movements from a sonata by contemporary Australian composer Carl Vine, suffusing it with passion and eye-opening digital pyrotechnics. — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, "Review: Young pianists play their hearts out at e-Piano Competition," 10 July 2019 But whether for a multiseason series or a one-off episode, the music must suffuse and support the fictional world. — Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: 'Maniac,' 'Romanoffs,' 'Succession' Composers Reveals Unusual Inspirations," 7 June 2019 The album is deeply suffused with a long-standing, parochial, and miniaturized understanding of the American South. — Michael Washburn, Longreads, "Tom Petty’s Problematic Album Southern Accents," 9 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suffuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of suffuse

1590, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for suffuse

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

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More Definitions for suffuse

suffuse

verb
How to pronounce suffuse (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of suffuse

literary : to spread over or fill (something)

See the full definition for suffuse in the English Language Learners Dictionary

suffuse

transitive verb
suf·​fuse | \ sə-ˈfyüz How to pronounce suffuse (audio) \
suffused; suffusing

Medical Definition of suffuse

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

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