diffuse 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈfyüs How to pronounce diffuse (audio)
Definition of diffusenext
as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea a diffuse speech that took a great deal of time to make a very small point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

diffuse

2 of 2

verb

as in to disperse

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective diffuse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of diffuse are prolix, verbose, and wordy. While all these words mean "using more words than necessary to express thought," diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.

diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories

When would prolix be a good substitute for diffuse?

The meanings of prolix and diffuse largely overlap; however, prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.

habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas

When is verbose a more appropriate choice than diffuse?

While the synonyms verbose and diffuse are close in meaning, verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.

the verbose position papers

Where would wordy be a reasonable alternative to diffuse?

Although the words wordy and diffuse have much in common, wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity.

a wordy speech

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of diffuse
Adjective
The most reasonable objection to this view is that resilience returns are too diffuse to underwrite, that avoided losses do not show up in a project’s revenue line the way tolls or tariffs do. — Ravi S. Bhalla, Fortune, 13 June 2026 Whereas the costs of deficits are diffuse, the costs of policies that close the deficit are acutely clear only to those affected. — Martha Gimbel, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Verb
This allowed small molecules and ions to diffuse into and out of the SpudCell. — ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026 The government deployed the military to the disaster areas not to help but to diffuse any expression of public discontent. — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for diffuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diffuse
  1. rambling
  2. disperse
  3. exaggerated
  4. dispel
  5. talkative
  6. dissipate
  7. communicative
  8. ray
Adjective
  • On the latest episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart took aim at Donald Trump‘s rambling speech during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
  • People process, remember, and act on information more easily when it’s organized into three buckets instead of an unstructured, rambling, and confusing stream of ideas.
    — Carmine Gallo, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of rambling
Verb
  • For a community that is often global and dispersed rather than concentrated in one place, that structure fills a real gap.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • In America, they are dispersed across basketball, football, baseball, wrestling and several other sports long before rugby enters the conversation.
    — Daniel Gallan, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of disperse
Adjective
  • This pair gives you an even more exaggerated silhouette while looking elegant.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Absolutely is still Abby, but an exaggerated, almost caricature of Abby, rather than a separate thing.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of exaggerated
Verb
  • The spokesperson thus sought to dispel, in his own words, the speculation of countless online users who, for months—due to the pop star’s noticeable weight loss—have expressed serious concerns about her physical and mental health.
    — Roberta Mercuri, Vanity Fair, 3 Aug. 2026
  • However, Roberts ultimately dispelled the notion that there had ever been a fallout between the two of them over the article.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026
Definition of dispel
Adjective
  • Warsh has elected to break with his three immediate predecessors’ efforts to make the Fed more talkative and transparent.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • In Emme Lund’s 2022 novel, the talkative bird (named Gail) who lives between Owen’s ribs acts as a metaphor for both queerness and disability.
    — Chris Martin, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
Definition of talkative
Verb
  • But these scenes are filmed with such playfulness that the shock value is completely dissipated.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
  • When these four things align, effort stops dissipating and starts compounding.
    — Jeff Winters, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of dissipate
Adjective
  • Steering is accurate without being particularly communicative, but that's perfectly appropriate for this car.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 July 2026
  • But the highest-value layer will be people who combine financial fluency with the kind of strategic, communicative intelligence that helps the whole organization make better decisions.
    — Jack O'Hara, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of communicative
Verb
  • Scientists have long grouped sharks together as a natural evolutionary unit, meaning every shark species shares a common ancestor that rays and skates do not.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
  • The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of ray

Browse Nearby Words

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diffuse
diffused
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Cite this Entry

“Diffuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffuse. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on diffuse

Nglish: Translation of diffuse for Spanish Speakers

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