suffuse

[suh-fyooz]

verb (used with object)

suffused, suffusing 

1. to overspread with or as with a liquid, color, etc.

   Synonyms: flood, bathe, diffuse, pervade, cover

suffuse

/ səˈfjuːʒən, səˈfjuːz /

verb

1. (tr; usually passive) to spread or flood through or over (something)

   the evening sky was suffused with red

Other Word Forms

• suffusedly adverb
• suffusion noun
• suffusive adjective
• unsuffused adjective
• unsuffusive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of suffuse¹

First recorded in 1580–90, suffuse is from the Latin word suffūsus (past participle of suffundere ). See suf-, fuse ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of suffuse¹

C16: from Latin suffūsus overspread with, from suffundere, from _sub- + fundere to pour

Example Sentences

Far from L.A.’s suburban sprawl, a Salton Sea butcher is haunted by the disappearance of girls in a novel suffused in Latina and Indigenous cultures.

From Los Angeles Times

Considering that they grew up in a stagnant culture suffused with right-wing propaganda, holding liberal views is by no means certain.

From Salon

In this welcoming new context — imagine “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” suffused with girl power — there’s never anything odd about the characters grinding and wailing like karaoke superstars.

From Los Angeles Times

We wanted only to be suffused with his powers of Commemoration.

From Los Angeles Times

But beginning around 1820, the year of the Missouri Compromise, slavery began to dominate American politics, suffusing even issues that one might think were unrelated, such as federal funding for infrastructure projects.

From Salon

Related Words

• bathe 
• permeate 
• saturate 
• steep 
• tinge