diffuse 1 of 2

diffuse

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective diffuse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of diffuse are prolix, verbose, and wordy. While all these words mean "using more words than necessary to express thought," diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.

diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories

When would prolix be a good substitute for diffuse?

The meanings of prolix and diffuse largely overlap; however, prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.

habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas

When is verbose a more appropriate choice than diffuse?

While the synonyms verbose and diffuse are close in meaning, verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.

the verbose position papers

Where would wordy be a reasonable alternative to diffuse?

Although the words wordy and diffuse have much in common, wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity.

a wordy speech

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of diffuse
Adjective
The red regions toward the top of this image are areas where dust clouds are relatively diffuse. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2022 Dragonfly 44 and its ilk are known as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs). Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2022
Verb
The world isn’t safer if power is diffused away from the American center and countries seek to fill the void within their various spheres of influence. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2025 Like an epic poem told through a multitude of voices, Miguel Gomes’s Grand Tour is a movie of unorthodox sweep and diffuse grace. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for diffuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diffuse
Adjective
  • Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.
    Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Neighboring municipalities were notified and provided immediate mutual aid to the Edison Police Department to disperse the crowd.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • But after the sun went down and the spectators dispersed, the winds changed, violently scattering the balloons around Normandy and across the English Channel into England.
    Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • The ensemble was crafted with a form-fitting silhouette and included such exaggerated elements as sharp shoulders.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 May 2025
  • Her ensemble also featured a black floor-length gown with exaggerated shoulders and a turquoise bow belt extending into a floor-grazing sash.
    Michelle Lee, People.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • The second important thing to say about the speculation around Doctor Who is that the drama’s key figures — including Gatwa himself — have done little to dispel the sense of unease.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 23 May 2025
  • The Museums Special Section Black Cowboys Ride Again: Museums have taken up the cause of dispelling the perception of a whites-only West.
    Elly Fishman, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • My favorite early fact about Pope Bob from Chicago comes from his talkative brother John.
    Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 12 May 2025
  • Audiences that get hyped up, like Thai audiences, are like talkative people.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Whatever was bottling up the Mets’ offense over the last week finally dissipated in a 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
  • Now Trump is back in office and flirting openly with authoritarianism—but the defiant energy that swept the arts during his first administration seems dissipated and tentative.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • This open dialogue and communicative environment has had such a positive impact on Celebree’s results and has become my favorite way to kick off the week.
    Richard Huffman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • The sophisticated parsing of law and finance, the hard-nosed practicality of retail politics, and the workaday lilt of person-in-the-street interviews converge on the soundtrack and are reflected in images that are modestly but candidly communicative—uninflected but humming with passion.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • On the other hand, any fleeting gesture of affection or vulnerability — like Chandan standing in Shoaib’s path during an Islamophobic assault — makes love practically radiate through the screen.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 21 May 2025
  • On the mound, Shem Tov smiled and blew kisses to the crowd, radiating warmth and kindness.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Diffuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffuse. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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