suffuse
verb
transitive verb
P. M. Leschak 
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." 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
Example Sentences
Alexandra Orbuch, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2022 Shades of green and grey suffuse the space, alongside white displays and hardwood floors. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 July 2022 An atrium facilitates ventilation; soaring ceilings and high, narrow windows suffuse the living room with filtered light. Jori Lewis, The Atlantic, 5 July 2022 There’s melancholy, regret, grief, and disappointment in Julie’s life; for that matter, the inconclusive vagueness and inchoate longings that suffuse the film, that constitute her very character, come off as the nature of life itself. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022 The patterns of flowers, vines, leaves, birds, and other animals suffuse his designs with joy. April Austin, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2021 Each morning the bakers make marvelous sourdough bread whose aromas suffuse the air outside of the little store, which has never seen fit to expand its offerings much beyond a few different loaves of bread and cakes. John Mariani, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021 Branagh's genuine affection and nostalgia for his subject suffuse the movie; if only the misty romanticism of his story could match it. Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2021 Chelsea had lost N’Golo Kanté to an injury at the break, a third cause of regret, and yet his spirit seemed to suffuse his team. New York Times, 28 Aug. 2021 See More 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
Medical Definition
suffuse
transitive verb
suffuse
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- infuse
- imbue
- inculcate
- fill
- flood
- invest
- inoculate
- endue
- enliven
- overwhelm
- engrain
- ingrain
- steep
- pervade
- indue
- charge
- permeate
- invigorate
- animate
- plant
- saturate
- drown
- leaven
- instill
- submerge
- impregnate
- inundate
- implant
- deluge
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- deprive
- eliminate
- remove
- clear
- divest
- strip
- take (away)
- empty
Synonyms & Similar Words
- penetrate
- pervade
- permeate
- interpenetrate
- flood
- transfuse
- riddle
- saturate
- infuse
- imbue
- impregnate
- percolate (into)
- drench
- soak
- pass (into)
- glut
- diffuse (through)
- fill (up)
- steep
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of suffuse are imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, and leaven. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.
The meanings of imbue and suffuse largely overlap; however, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.
The words infuse and suffuse can be used in similar contexts, but infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.
The words ingrain and suffuse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.
In some situations, the words inoculate and suffuse are roughly equivalent. However, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.
While in some cases nearly identical to suffuse, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.