She gave a diffuse answer.
Source: tatoeba (3555101)
Diffuse
/dɪˈfjuz/
Synonyms for "diffuse" (419 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (84)
Verb(16 words)
aboundingabundantaffluentall-sufficingambagiousampleaplentyassignatomizebendbespreadbestrewbiasbottomlessbounteousbountifulbranch outbreak into piecesbreak to piecesbreak up
Show 39 more words
broadbroadcastcarry overcasualcircuitouscircularcirculatecircumfusecircumlocutorycommunicateconsigncopiouscrashcrawl withcreep withcrookcrunchcrushcurvecut to piecesdeal outdeflectdeflecteddeflectivedeliverdemolishdeportdesultorydeviatediffractdiffracteddiffractivediffuseddiffusivedigressivediscretediscursivedisjoindispel
Noun(6 words)
Adjective(3 words)
Strong matches (126)
dispensedispersedisperseddispreaddisruptdisseminatedisseminateddissipatedissipateddissolvedistortdistorteddistributedistributeddivergedivertdoglegeaseease offeffuse
Show 82 more words
effusiveemanateepidemicexhaustlessexpandexpelexportextendextend throughoutextendedextensiveextraditeextravagantexuberantfan outfar flungfar reachingfar-embracingfar-extendingfar-flungfar-flyingfar-goingfar-rangingfar-reachingfatfecundfertilefillfissionflectionalflexedfloweryflushformlessfragmentfreefullgaloregenerousgrindgushinggushyhairpinhand forwardhand onhand overhoneycombimbueimpartimportin plentyin quantityindiscriminateinexhaustibleinflatedinflectiveinfuseinterfuseinterlardintersowintersperseintersprinkleissuelarge scalelarge-scalelastinglavishlaxleave no voidleavenlengthylet golet upliberallonglong-drawn-outlong-windedlooseloosenloquaciousluxuriantmake mincemeat of
Verb(12 words)
Noun(7 words)
Adjective(2 words)
even spreadgeneralized
Related words (209)
make overmanymaximalmeanderingmetastasizemetathesizemincemuchnumerousoccupyopulentoverflowingoverrunoverscatteroversowoverspreadoverswarmpasspass onpass over
Show 120 more words
pass the buckpenetrateperfuseperiphrasticpermeatepervadeplenitudinousplenteousplentifulplentypleonasticprevailingprevalentprodigalproductiveprofuseprofusiveprolificprolixprolongedpropagateprotractedpublishpullpulverizeradiateramblingrampantrandomrayredundantrefractrefractedrefractilerefractiverefrangiblereiterativerelaxrelayrepetitiverepleteretailrichriferiotousroundaboutrun throughrunning overscatterscatteredshattershiverskewskewedslackslack offslackensmashsmash upsowsow broadcastsparsesplaysplintersporadicsprayspreadspread outsquashsquishstragglingstragglystrewstrewnstrownsuffusesuperabundantswarm withsweepingswitchtautologousteemteem withteemingthrowtransfertransfer propertytransfusetranslatetranslocatetransmittransplacetransplanttransposeturnturn overtwistunglueunleashunstickutterverbosewarpwealthywell-foundwell-furnishedwell-plannedwell-providedwell-stockedwholesalewidewide-extendedwide-extendingwide-rangingwide-reachingwide-stretchingwidespreadwindywordyzigzag
Verb(34 words)
Noun(22 words)
most amorphousmost scatteredmushroomingodorsoutspreadoutspreadingoverspilloverspreadingpropagatingripplesscatter of starsscatteringseed broadcastingseepingspread acrossspreadingspreadsspreedsuffusedsuffusing
Adjective(5 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: disperse, disseminate, penetrate, permeate, pervade.
- Sentence evidence is available for diffuse, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "diffuse".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "diffuse"
Keep "diffuse" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "diffuse" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "diffuse", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "diffuse" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesMore specific
9 entriesCollocations
9 entriesdiffuse aromadiffuse colordiffuse gasdiffuse layerdiffuse lightdiffuse matterdiffuse radiationdiffuse reflectiondiffuse through
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
7 entriessimilar
6 entriesTranslations
32 translations across 19 languages.
Bulgarian
3 entries- разпространявам verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- разпръсвам verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- разсейвам verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Catalan
1 entries- difondre verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 扩散 verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- 渗出 verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Danish
1 entries- diffus verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Finnish
2 entries- hajottaa verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- levittää verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
French
1 entries- diffuser verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
German
1 entries- diffundieren verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Hungarian
4 entries- szétszór verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- szétterít verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- szór verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- terjeszt verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Ido
1 entries- difuzar verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Irish
1 entries- idirleath verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Middle English
1 entries- toscheden verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Māori
2 entries- tūrererere verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- tūringiringi verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Norwegian
1 entries- diffundere verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Portuguese
1 entries- difundir verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Russian
4 entries- распространи́ть verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- распространя́ть verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- рассе́ивать verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- рассе́ять verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Swedish
1 entries- diffundera verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Tagalog
1 entries- ikalat verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Vietnamese
2 entries- khuếch tán verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
- lan toả verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Welsh
1 entries- tryledu verb ((transitive) to spread over or through)
Sample sentences
14 total sentences available.
Layla tried to diffuse the situation.
Source: tatoeba (6072123)
Tom tried to diffuse the situation.
Source: tatoeba (6089134)
How can we diffuse the conflict?
Source: tatoeba (10620764)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "diffuse"?
Closest matches include disperse, disseminate, penetrate, permeate, pervade.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "diffuse"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.