imbue

[ im-byoo ]

See synonyms for: imbue imbued imbues imbuement on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),im·bued, im·bu·ing.

to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.: The new political leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
to saturate or impregnate with moisture, color, etc.

to imbrue.

Origin of imbue

First recorded in 1545–55, imbue is from the Latin word imbuere “to wet, drench”

Other words for imbue

1	charge, infect, fire
2	permeate, infuse, tincture, soak

See synonyms for imbue on Thesaurus.com

Other words from imbue

im·bue·ment, noun
pre·im·bue, verb (used with object), pre·im·bued, pre·im·bu·ing.

Words that may be confused with imbue

imbrue, imbue

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use imbue in a sentence

But what is the end game here, and what are the unintended consequences of imbuing a robotic device with cuteness?
Does a Robot Need to Be Cute? | Annabelle Gurwitch | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The masters had their own reasons for imbuing blackface roles with goofy character traits.
Why It’s Time to End Blackface, Finally | Soraya Roberts | October 31, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
“Radical acceptance” is one of the core concepts I have been working on imbuing in my therapy.
‘LA Shrinks’: A Television Writer Discovers His Shrink Is on a Bravo Reality Show | Mike Chessler | April 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Benjamin Lytal on how imbuing a holy figure with skepticism and doubt draws one back to the Bible itself.
What Mary Thought: ‘The Testament of Mary’ by Colm Tóibín | Benjamin Lytal | November 18, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Forced to carry the middle portion of the film while stranded at sea, Sharma delivers, imbuing Pi with deep emotional honesty.
Is Ang Lee’s Visually Breathtaking Life of Pi This Year’s Slumdog Millionaire? | Marlow Stern | September 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

He could only hope that Mrs. Rossmore would succeed in imbuing her husband with her Christian spirit.
The Lion and The Mouse | Charles Klein
He could sing, when he chose, with a Highland accent, and had caught the knack of imbuing what he sang with an intolerable pathos.
Murder Point | Coningsby Dawson
Many of the women fall into the bad habit of imbuing all their work with a romantic tinge of exaggerated sentiment.
Woman's Work in Music | Arthur Elson
A perfume rose from her mouth into her nostrils, and caused her bones to melt, imbuing her body with delicious warmth.
Eastern Shame Girl | Charles Georges Souli
The idea laid hold of him of reviving the spirit of his countrymen by imbuing them with the thoughts of the great Greek writers.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for imbue

imbue

/ (ɪmˈbjuː) /

verb-bues, -buing or -bued (tr usually foll by with)

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

Origin of imbue

C16: from Latin imbuere to stain, accustom

Derived forms of imbue

imbuement, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse