Diffuse

How to spell diffuse

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce diffuse

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does diffuse mean?

1. verbTo spread or scatter something widely, or to become spread out, as a gas, light, or information does.
2. adjectiveSpread out over a wide area, or lacking concentration; in writing, wordy and lacking focus.

Diffuse in a sentence

• verb

  Frosted glass helps to diffuse the harsh light across the room.

• adjective

  The soft, diffuse glow from the lamp was easy on the eyes.

• verb

  The scent of the candle began to diffuse through the whole house.

• adjective

  Her report was so diffuse that the main point got lost.

Where does diffuse come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin diffundere, meaning 'to pour out' or 'to spread in every direction', formed from dis- 'apart' and fundere 'to pour'. The past participle diffusus gave English its form, and the literal image is of a liquid poured out so that it spreads and thins across a surface. English adopted it in the late 1300s and early 1400s, first as an adjective for something widely spread or wordy and loose in style, and later as a verb meaning to scatter or spread out. The same fundere root is poured into many relatives, including 'fountain', 'refund', 'fuse', and 'confuse', all of which carry a sense of flowing or pouring. The single f after the di- is the spelling trap, and it also helps to remember that diffuse (to spread out) is a different word from defuse (to remove a fuse and calm a tense situation).

How the word is built

• dif- (apart, in different directions)
• fus(e) (from Latin fundere/fusus: to pour)