suffuse
C1Formal, literary
Definition
Meaning
To spread over or through something, especially with light, color, or a quality.
To permeate or fill something with a particular emotion, atmosphere, or physical substance in a gradual and pervasive manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a gentle or diffuse spreading, typically with positive or neutral connotations, and is commonly used with abstract nouns like emotion or light.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or grammatical usage.
Connotations
Similar connotations of gradual permeation in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English literary contexts, but overall low frequency in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP suffuse NP with NPNP be suffused with NPVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; not typical in business communication.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, descriptive writing, or humanities to describe pervasive qualities.
Everyday
Uncommon; occasionally used in formal speech or writing.
Technical
Not typically used in technical or scientific contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The evening light suffused the room with a golden hue.
American English
- The sunset suffused the sky with brilliant colors.
adjective
British English
- Her face was suffused with joy upon hearing the news.
American English
- The atmosphere was suffused with tension during the debate.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Light suffuses the room.
- The sunset suffused the clouds with pink.
- Her speech was suffused with optimism, inspiring everyone.
- The novel is suffused with a sense of melancholy that pervades every chapter.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'suffuse' as similar to 'diffuse'—both involve spreading something through, like light or color.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIQUID SPREADING THROUGH A CONTAINER
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Might be confused with 'suffocate' (задыхаться) due to similar spelling.
- Could be misinterpreted as 'diffuse' (рассеивать) which has a related but distinct meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Omitting the preposition 'with', as in 'suffuse light' instead of 'suffuse with light'.
- Mispronouncing the first syllable as /sʌ/ instead of /sə/.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'suffuse' typically mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'suffuse' is relatively rare and is more often used in formal or literary contexts.
Typically, 'suffuse' is used with 'with' to indicate what is being spread, as in 'suffused with light'.
Both mean to spread through, but 'suffuse' often implies a gentle or pervasive filling, especially with light or emotion, while 'permeate' can be more general and neutral.
In American English, it is pronounced /səˈfjuz/, with the stress on the second syllable.