imbue
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to instil or inspire (with ideals, principles, etc)
his sermons were imbued with the spirit of the Reformation
-
rare to soak, esp with moisture, dye, etc
Other Word Forms
- imbuement noun
- preimbue verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of imbue
First recorded in 1545–55, imbue is from the Latin word imbuere “to wet, drench”
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.
He says the whole thing took about a day to craft, with its contemporary piano figures and classical vocals, imbued with the vivaciousness of Casa Verdi’s residents.
From Los Angeles Times
“That sense of immediacy — and not imbuing something with outside signifiers of value — lets the fragile piece of paper speak for itself.”
From Los Angeles Times
But Roslyn Ruff, a talented actor who speaks the verse with commendable clarity, fails to imbue the character with the necessary domineering imperiousness.
She’s training Claude to detect the difference between right and wrong while imbuing it with unique personality traits.
A seductively smooth-gliding shot shows us the point of view from a moving motorbike at night, imbued with a sense of quiet mastery.
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.
