Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense infuses, present participle infusing, past tense, past participle infused
1. verb
To infuse a quality into someone or something, or to infuse them with a quality, means to fill them with it.
[formal]
Many of the girls seemed to be infused with excitement on seeing the snow. [beVERB-ed + with]
A union would infuse unnecessary conflict into the company's employee relations. [VERB noun + into]
[Also VERB noun + with]
2. verb
If a quality infuses something, every part of that thing has that quality.
[literary]
A strange spirit infused the place. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: fill, charge, inspire, pervade More Synonyms of infuse
3. ergative verb
If you infuse things such as tea leaves or herbs, or allow them to infuse, you put them in hot water for some time so that the water absorbs their flavour. You can also infuse things in other liquids.
...teas made by infusing the roots of herbs. [VERB noun]
Herbalists infuse the flowers in oil. [V n in n]
Leave the tea to infuse. [VERB]
Synonyms: brew, soak, steep, saturate More Synonyms of infuse
More Synonyms of infuse
infuse in British English
(ɪnˈfjuːz)
verb
1. (transitive; often foll byinto)
to instil or inculcate
2. (transitive; foll bywith)
to inspire; emotionally charge
3.
to soak or be soaked in order to extract flavour or other properties
4. rare(foll by into)
to pour
Word origin
C15: from Latin infundere to pour into
infuse in American English
(ɪnˈfjuz)
verb transitiveWord forms: inˈfused or inˈfusing
1. Obsolete
to pour (a liquid) in, into, or upon
2.
to put (a quality, idea, etc.) into, as if by pouring; instill; impart
3.
to fill (with a quality, feeling, etc.); imbue; inspire
4.
to steep or soak (tea leaves, etc.) so as to extract flavor or other qualities
Derived forms
infuser (inˈfuser)
noun
Word origin
ME infusen < L infusus, pp. of infundere, to pour in < in-, in + fundere, to pour: see UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
Examples of 'infuse' in a sentence
infuse
Add the vanilla pod to the mix and leave it for 30 minutes to infuse.
The Sun (2016)
Turn off the heat and let the garlic infuse in the oil as it cools.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Turn offthe heat and allow the flavours to infuse for half an hour.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse for one hour.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Pour in the infused oil and let the soup stand for a couple of minutes before serving.
The Sun (2015)
The leaves are used like bay to infuse flavour.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for eight hours.
Guyton, Anita The Natural Beauty Book - cruelty-free cosmetics to make at home (1991)
The result is music infused with a sense of freedom.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Stir well to combine and leave overnight in the fridge for all the flavours to infuse.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Remove from the heat and infuse for an hour.
Guyton, Anita The Natural Beauty Book - cruelty-free cosmetics to make at home (1991)
Rage and a sense of loss infuse her book.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Set aside to allow the flavours to infuse.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Add enough oil to coat and leave to infuse for an hour.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Leave to sit in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavours to infuse.
The Sun (2014)
Cover and infuse for thirty minutes.
Guyton, Anita The Natural Beauty Book - cruelty-free cosmetics to make at home (1991)
But the book is also infused with his very unscientific sense of wonder at those things about nature that are still unknown.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Turn the heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes to infuse the stock with the smoky flavour.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
To serve, drizzle with the infused oil left over from the tomatoes.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Turn offthe heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Keep the spices moving quickly in the pan for 2 minutes to allow them to infuse the oil.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It also infused her upbringing.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
I have received numerous other tales, and they are all infused with a sense of pride.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The leaves should be boiled or steamed for about five minutes and dressed while warm with peppery oils infused with chilli, garlic and anchovies.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Much of it sounds like a throwback to the heady days of the Sixties but also infused with cool, contemporary flourishes.
The Sun (2008)
In other languages
infuse
British English: infuse VERB
To infuse a quality into someone or something, or to infuse them with a quality, means to fill them with it.
Many of the girls seemed to be infused with excitement on seeing the snow.
American English: infuse
Brazilian Portuguese: infundir(-se)
Chinese: 充满某种特性
European Spanish: infundir
French: remplir
German: erfüllen
Italian: pervadere
Japanese: 満たす
Korean: 불어넣다
European Portuguese: infundir(-se)
Latin American Spanish: infundir
1 (verb)
Definition
to fill with (an emotion or quality)
A strange spirit infused the place.
Synonyms
fill
The barn was filled with the smell of hay.
charge
a performance that was charged with energy
inspire
What inspired you to change your name?
pervade
the corruption that pervades every stratum of society
inundate
imbue
He is able to imbue his listeners with enthusiasm.
suffuse
A dull red flash suffused Selby's face.
2 (verb)
The only solution was to infuse new blood into all our Courts.
Synonyms
instil
The work instilled a sense of responsibility in the children.
add
introduce
I wish to introduce a note of cool reason to the discussion.
breathe
It is the readers who breathe life into a newspaper.
inject
She kept trying to inject a little fun into the lessons.
implant
His father had implanted in him an ambition to obtain an education.
impart
inculcate
3 (verb)
Definition
to soak or be soaked in order to extract flavour
teas made by infusing the roots of herbs
Synonyms
brew
He brewed a pot of coffee.
soak
Soak the beans for two hours.
steep
green beans steeped in olive oil
saturate
If the filter has been saturated with motor oil, discard it.
immerse
macerate
I like to macerate the food in liqueur for a few minutes before serving.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of breathe
It is the readers who breathe life into a newspaper.
Synonyms
instil,
inspire,
pass on,
inject,
impart,
infuse,
imbue
in the sense of charge
Definition
to fill with a feeling or mood
a performance that was charged with energy
Synonyms
fill,
load,
instil,
suffuse,
lade
in the sense of imbue
Definition
to fill or inspire (with ideals or principles)
He is able to imbue his listeners with enthusiasm.