infuse
Americanverb (used with object)
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to introduce, as if by pouring; cause to penetrate; instill (usually followed byinto ).
The energetic new principal infused new life into the school.
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to imbue or inspire (usually followed bywith ).
The new coach infused the team with enthusiasm.
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to steep or soak (leaves, bark, roots, etc.) in a liquid so as to extract the soluble properties or ingredients.
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Obsolete. to pour in.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to instil or inculcate
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to inspire; emotionally charge
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to soak or be soaked in order to extract flavour or other properties
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rare (foll by into) to pour
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uninfusedadjective
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infusernoun
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reinfuseverb (used with object)
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superinfuseverb (used with object)
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uninfusingadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have infusedperfect
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has infusedperfect 3rd person singular
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am infusingprogressive 1st person singular
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is infusingprogressive 3rd person singular
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infusingparticiple
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are infusingprogressive
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have been infusingperfect progressive
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infusessingular 3rd person
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has been infusingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had infusedperfect
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infusedparticiple
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were infusingprogressive plural
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infusedsimple
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was infusingprogressive singular
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had been infusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of infuse
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin infūsus, past participle of infundere “to pour into”; see in- 2, fuse 2
Explanation
To infuse is to steep something in a liquid to extract the flavors from it. You'll impress your friends with your cooking if you infuse rosemary and thyme in broth and then use the liquid to marinate chicken. To infuse also means to inspire or fill with a certain quality. Your goal might be to infuse your writing with such humor that your readers laugh until they cry. The medical meaning of infuse is to introduce a medicinal therapy through a patient's vein. When you're badly dehydrated, doctors may need to infuse you with fluids. The Latin root infusus means "to pour into."
Vocabulary lists containing infuse
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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"This Is Water" by David Foster Wallace
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I marveled at their energy, which seemed to feed off the audience and then infuse it with even more power.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
“That was by design — to infuse the club and the community and grow that,” Reynolds said of he and his partner’s aims.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Sabarad says the Tatas and Singapore Airlines will have to step up and infuse more money into the carrier to fund the mounting losses.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
I appreciate a suggestion to infuse playfulness into moments of potential frustration, namely “transition moments.”
From Slate • May 10, 2026
But somehow I couldn’t infuse my voice with the proper outrage.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
