pervade
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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pervadernoun
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pervadingnessnoun
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pervasionnoun
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interpervadeverb (used with object)
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pervasiveadjective
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unpervadedadjective
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unpervadingadjective
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pervadinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pervadesimple
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pervadessimple
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have pervadedperfect
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has pervadedperfect
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am pervadingprogressive
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are pervadingprogressive
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is pervadingprogressive
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have been pervadingperfect progressive
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has been pervadingperfect progressive
Past
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pervadedsimple
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had pervadedperfect
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was pervadingprogressive
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were pervadingprogressive
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had been pervadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pervade
1645–55; < Latin pervādere to pass through, equivalent to per- per- + vādere to go, walk
Explanation
To pervade means to be present throughout, to exist in every part of. If you have too many cats, the horrible smell of cat pee will pervade your house. You can use pervade both for external things like smells and sickness, and for more internal things like feelings. For instance, you can say that a feeling of doom pervaded the army as they caught sight of the opposition’s superior forces. Despite efforts to prevent bullying, peer pressure and clique mentalities pervade the school environment.
Vocabulary lists containing pervade
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 10, List 1
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The Giver
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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.
See Examples For:
Its technologies not only pervade the modern world; they buttress the global economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
But with “Young Mothers,” the filmmakers pare back the desperate stakes that often pervade their movies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026
As 10-minute online deliveries by "quick commerce" apps like Zomato, BlinkIt and Zepto pervade urban India, hundreds of thousands of neighbourhood stores across cities have closed down.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2025
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, the concepts of individualism and self-sufficiency began to pervade U.S. culture and politics.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2025
Medical men and even the general public were becoming aware that the human environment was inhabited by an enormous number of microorganisms capable of causing disease, just as today carcinogens pervade our surroundings.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Months after it was announced that the surge of immigration agents in Minnesota was coming to an end, fear still pervades parts of the US state.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
Dry humor also pervades a novel that is enriched throughout by the laconic speech of the region.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
Yet in the erasure of history, in the paralyzing censorship that pervades many parts of the world, we risk forgetting the lessons of the past.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2025
She sat on the patchy grass and grasped at the sense of melancholy that pervades the Fighting Oligarchy tour.
From Slate ● Apr. 9, 2025
Guilt pervades me, I’ve been found out, but for what?
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Gold and silver futures settled lower for the third consecutive day as a risk-off sentiment pervaded markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Already in Algiers ahead of the historic visit, the atmosphere of an imminent celebration pervaded the air, with walls repainted, roads repaved and green spaces adorned with plants and flowerpots.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
Deep fear has long pervaded the arid savannah plains and highlands of north-western Nigeria - even before the US air strikes on the Islamist militants who have made this area their base on Christmas night.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
Discontent over staffing, pay and other alleged workplace issues has pervaded the lab over the past two years, emails and other communications reviewed by The Times show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2024
To May’s great delight, Mr. Laurence not only bought the vases, but pervaded the hall with one under each arm.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
In retrospect, its uncompromising litmus tests and chilly demeanor were real weaknesses, creating a pervading fear that any false step could expel one from good graces, and that a return trip was always, always treacherous.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
Like “Bridgerton,” our “Heated Rivalry” obsession is related to a hollow longing for connection pervading society right now.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2026
By shifting the goal post, there will be a greater focus on policy implementation, driving up consumer spending, and stemming the deflationary forces that have been pervading the economy, Green says.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026
“I couldn’t find the knowledge I needed to dispel this sense of unease that was pervading my body,” Cobb told the Edmonton Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
“There seemed to be a lack of enthusiasm suddenly pervading the scene,” Alvarez recalled, “and we were worried about . . . whether it was a change in climate in Washington.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
