Diffuse

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Pronunciation: /dɪˈfjuːz/

Definitions

1. To spread out widely and become less concentrated or intense in the process
2. To disperse over a larger area while reducing in concentration or intensity
3. To cause to spread thinly and evenly throughout a space, leading to a reduction in potency or density

Etymology: "Diffuse" comes to English through Middle French "diffuser," from the Latin "diffūsus," the past participle of "diffundere," which combines "dis-" (apart, in different directions) with "fundere" (to pour). The original image is literal: something poured out so that it spreads in every direction. That physical sense of liquid or light scattering outward is still the core of the word, and the English adjective for something wordy or rambling, with its loose, sprawling sentences, grows naturally from the same picture of material spilling without a container. The English form appeared in Middle English, where it is attested in the adverb "diffuseli," showing that the adjective was already in use by then and not only a later borrowing from French. Because it was borrowed directly from Latin's participle, the word kept the sense of something poured out widely rather than gathered together.

Synonyms: spread, scatter, disperse, disseminate, broadcast

Antonyms: concentrate, focus, contain, restrict, confine