INFUSE Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'infuse' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of infuse are imbue , ingrain , inoculate , leaven , and suffuse . While all these words 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

Q: When could 'imbue' be used to replace 'infuse'?

While the synonyms imbue and infuse are close in meaning, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being. // imbue students with intellectual curiosity

Q: In what contexts can 'ingrain' take the place of 'infuse'?

Although the words ingrain and infuse have much in common, ingrain , used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait. // clung to ingrained habits

Q: When is 'inoculate' a more appropriate choice than 'infuse'?

The meanings of inoculate and infuse largely overlap; however, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety. // an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

Q: When can 'leaven' be used instead of 'infuse'?

The synonyms leaven and infuse are sometimes interchangeable, but leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality. // a serious play leavened with comic moments

Q: When would 'suffuse' be a good substitute for 'infuse'?

While in some cases nearly identical to infuse , suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality. // a room suffused with light

infuse

verb

in-ˈfyüz

Definition of infuse

as in to suffuse

to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle parents who infuse their children with strong moral values

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb infuse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of infuse are imbue, ingrain, inoculate, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words 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

When could imbue be used to replace infuse?

While the synonyms imbue and infuse are close in meaning, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

In what contexts can ingrain take the place of infuse?

Although the words ingrain and infuse have much in common, ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When is inoculate a more appropriate choice than infuse?

The meanings of inoculate and infuse largely overlap; however, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When can leaven be used instead of infuse?

The synonyms leaven and infuse are sometimes interchangeable, but leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When would suffuse be a good substitute for infuse?

While in some cases nearly identical to infuse, suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

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 infuse But Yoon infuses this neutral-tone narration with lively and intelligent dialogues among Etna and other animals (Etna can speak to every species, though Soojin is the only human). — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Even after 2024 renovations, a sense of history still infuses the tall stone-and-timber facade of State Game Lodge, which served as Calvin Coolidge’s summer White House in 1927. — Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 5 Aug. 2026 Vintage fabric is a sure way to infuse story and unique character into your space. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2026 But instead of gossiping about who’s dating whom, collaborators batted around their pasts and infused the darkly comedic anthology series with themes of samsara and the Jungian Shadow. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infuse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infuse

Verb

After setting her wildly popular debut The Tiger's Wife in a Balkans suffused with myth and magic, the author turned in subsequent books to the Old West and a city redolent of New York.

— Colin Dwyer, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
The threat is still there, suffused into the air like a memory, but for a time the choice between love and survival no longer feels mutually exclusive to Nino and Yasmina.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 July 2026

Definition of suffuse

Verb

The full-bodied physicality with which delas Alas imbues her performance turns such punishingly poignant bits into the stuff of boisterous spectacle.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Partial drafts of his work were carried along with him, soaked in Salinger’s sweat and imbued with his raw, instinctive reactions to conflict.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of imbue

Verb

E*Trade's head pitched it as clients wanting to invest, trade, bank and plan in one place.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
And yet while some clubs of a similar size were happy to keep selling players to re-invest, Tottenham generally only did so with first-team players in very specific circumstances.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of invest

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“Infuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infuse. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of infuse

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