diffuse
diffuse Lexical Profile
diffuse Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Spread out over a large area; not concentrated in a single place.
"The photographer preferred the soft, diffuse light of an overcast morning."
Lacking clarity or conciseness; wordy and poorly organized (of speech or writing).
"His second novel was criticized for its diffuse plot and overly rambling chapters."
• verb
To spread or cause to spread over a wide area or among a large number of people.
"Technologies like the printing press helped diffuse knowledge rapidly across the continent."
To intermingle or cause to intermingle by random molecular motion (of gases, liquids, or small particles).
"Oxygen diffuses through the thin walls of the capillaries into the surrounding tissues."
Word Nuance & Usage
The verb 'diffuse' (pronounced with a /z/ sound, meaning to spread out) is frequently confused with 'defuse' (meaning to remove the fuse from an explosive or to make a tense situation less dangerous). Additionally, 'diffuse' is a heteronym: the verb ends with a voiced /z/ sound, whereas the adjective ends with an unvoiced /s/ sound.
• Rhymes for diffuse
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin 'diffusus', the past participle of 'diffundere' ('to pour out or spread abroad'), formed from 'dis-' ('apart') and 'fundere' ('to pour or melt').