Standard Lemma guide

pervade

verb · 2 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.

  • UK: /pɜː(ɹ)ˈveɪd/
  • UK: /pəˈveɪd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /pɚˈveɪd/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪd
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER0 V EY1 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be in every part of; to spread through; to permeate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Cruel wars pervade history.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

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, penetrate, interpenetrate, diffuse, imbue, riddle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: penetrate, perforate

Narrower terms: spiritize, spiritise

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin pervādō.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: прониквам (pronikvam) — to be in every part of
  • Bulgarian: разпространявам се (razprostranjavam se) — to be in every part of
  • Catalan: impregnar — to be in every part of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 貫穿 /贯穿 (guànchuān) — to be in every part of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 充斥 (chōngchì) — to be in every part of
  • Czech: procházet skrz — to be in every part of
  • Dutch: doordringen — to be in every part of
  • Finnish: levitä — to be in every part of
  • French: saturer — to be in every part of
  • French: pénétrer — to be in every part of
  • French: envahir — to be in every part of
  • German: durchziehen — to be in every part of
  • Hungarian: áthat — to be in every part of
  • Hungarian: átjár — to be in every part of
  • Italian: pervadere — to be in every part of
  • Latin: pervado — to be in every part of
  • Lithuanian: persmelkti — to be in every part of
  • Occitan: penetrar — to be in every part of
  • Occitan: envasir — to be in every part of
  • Portuguese: permear — to be in every part of
  • Romanian: pătrunde — to be in every part of
  • Romanian: invada — to be in every part of
  • Russian: пропитывать (propityvatʹ) — to be in every part of
  • Russian: наполня́ть (napolnjátʹ) — to be in every part of
  • Russian: проходи́ть (proxodítʹ) — to be in every part of
  • Spanish: permear — to be in every part of
  • Spanish: impregnar — to be in every part of
  • Spanish: saturar — to be in every part of
  • Spanish: pervadir — to be in every part of
  • Swedish: genomsyra — to be in every part of
  • Ukrainian: проникати (pronykaty) — to be in every part of
  • Ukrainian: пронизувати (pronyzuvaty) — to be in every part of