Standard Lemma guide

diffuse

adj · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • dĭfyo͞os'
  • UK: /dɪˈfjuːs/
  • US: /dɪˈfjus/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːs
  • obsolete: dĭf'yo͞os
  • obsolete: /ˈdɪfjuːs/
  • dĭfyo͞oz'
  • UK: /dɪˈfjuːz/
  • US: /dɪˈfjuz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːz
  • homophone: defuse
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 F Y UW1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D IH0 F Y UW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Everywhere or throughout everything; not focused or concentrated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Such a diffuse effort is unlikely to produce good results.
  • diffuse activity of the prefrontal cortex

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Wordy; verbose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To spread (something) over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The small window diffuses light throughout the room.
  • Ideas are easily diffused with the help of technology.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To be spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Food coloring diffuses in water.
  • The riot diffused quite suddenly.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

(of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: soft, diffused

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

spread out; not concentrated in one place

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a large diffuse organization

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

lacking conciseness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a diffuse historical novel

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

cause to become widely known

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • spread information
  • circulate a rumor
  • broadcast the news

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: circulate, circularize, circularise, distribute, disseminate, propagate, broadcast, spread, disperse, pass around

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: publicize, publicise, air, bare

Narrower terms: podcast, sow, popularize, popularise, vulgarize, vulgarise, generalize, generalise, carry, run

9

verb

Meaning 9

spread or diffuse through

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration
  • music penetrated the entire building
  • His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: permeate, pervade, penetrate, interpenetrate, imbue, riddle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: penetrate, perforate

Narrower terms: spiritize, spiritise

10

verb

Meaning 10

move outward

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The soldiers fanned out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spread, spread out, fan out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spread, distribute

Narrower terms: percolate, creep, run, bleed, mantle

History

Etymology

From Middle English *diffuse (attested in adverb diffuseli), from Latin diffūsus.

From Middle French diffuser, from Latin diffūsus, past participle of diffundere, from dis- + fundere.

Across languages

Translations

83 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: дифузен (difuzen) — not focused or concentrated
  • Bulgarian: разсеян (razsejan) — not focused or concentrated
  • Catalan: difús — not focused or concentrated
  • Danish: diffus — not focused or concentrated
  • Danish: uklar — not focused or concentrated
  • Finnish: hajaantunut — not focused or concentrated
  • Finnish: hajanainen — not focused or concentrated
  • Finnish: lavea — not focused or concentrated
  • Finnish: diffuusi — not focused or concentrated
  • French: diffus — not focused or concentrated
  • German: diffus — not focused or concentrated
  • Hungarian: diffúz — not focused or concentrated
  • Hungarian: szórt — not focused or concentrated
  • Hungarian: szétszórt — not focused or concentrated
  • Indonesian: difus — not focused or concentrated
  • Irish: idirleata — not focused or concentrated
  • Italian: diffuso — not focused or concentrated
  • Macedonian: распрснат (rasprsnat) — not focused or concentrated
  • Macedonian: дифузен (difuzen) — not focused or concentrated
  • Māori: horahora — not focused or concentrated
  • Norwegian: diffus — not focused or concentrated
  • Portuguese: difuso — not focused or concentrated
  • Spanish: difuso — not focused or concentrated
  • Swedish: diffus — not focused or concentrated
  • Turkish: dağınık — not focused or concentrated
  • Hungarian: terjengős — wordy, verbose
  • Bulgarian: разпръсвам (razprǎsvam) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Bulgarian: разсейвам (razsejvam) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Bulgarian: разпространявам (razprostranjavam) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Catalan: difondre — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Chinese Mandarin: 扩散 (kuòsàn) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Chinese Mandarin: 渗出 (shènchū) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Danish: diffus — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Finnish: levittää — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Finnish: hajottaa — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • French: diffuser — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • German: diffundieren — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Hungarian: szór — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Hungarian: szétszór — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Hungarian: szétterít — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Hungarian: terjeszt — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Hungarian: áraszt — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Ido: difuzar — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Irish: idirleath — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Māori: tūrererere — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Māori: tūringiringi — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Middle English: toscheden — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Norwegian: diffundere — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Portuguese: difundir — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Russian: рассе́ивать (rasséivatʹ) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Russian: рассе́ять (rasséjatʹ) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Russian: распространя́ть (rasprostranjátʹ) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Russian: распространи́ть (rasprostranítʹ) — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Swedish: diffundera — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Tagalog: ikalat — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Vietnamese: khuếch tán — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Vietnamese: lan toả — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Welsh: tryledu — (transitive) to spread over or through
  • Bulgarian: разпръсвам се (razprǎsvam se) — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Bulgarian: разсейвам се (razsejvam se) — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Chinese Mandarin: 被扩散 — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使渗出 — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Finnish: levitä — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Finnish: hajota — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Finnish: hajaantua — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Finnish: diffundoitua — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • French: se diffuser — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • German: diffundieren — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Hungarian: terjed — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Hungarian: árad — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Hungarian: szóródik — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Hungarian: szétszóródik — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Hungarian: szétterjed — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Māori: kona — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Norwegian: diffundere — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Portuguese: difundir — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Russian: рассе́иваться (rasséivatʹsja) — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Russian: рассе́яться (rasséjatʹsja) — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Russian: распространя́ться (rasprostranjátʹsja) — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Russian: распространи́ться (rasprostranítʹsja) — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Swedish: diffundera — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Tagalog: kumalat — (intransitive) to be spread over or through
  • Welsh: tryledu — (intransitive) to be spread over or through