All words

diffuse

Meaning

To spread out or cause to spread out over a wide area; to become less concentrated or intense.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

The anger in the room began to diffuse. What started as a loud argument, everyone shouting at once, slowly became quiet murmurs. The tension seemed to spread out, becoming less sharp and scary.

The fear was a tight knot in his chest, but as he watched the children playing, their laughter finally starting to break through the awful quiet, the intense worry began to diffuse. It lessened, spreading out, becoming less sharp with every happy sound.

The smell of burnt sugar began to diffuse through the cramped workshop. First, it was just a hint, a faint whisper of disaster. Then, it grew stronger, a thick, cloying cloud that made everyone cough, its sweetness turning bitter and sharp as it spread to every corner.

The scent of burnt toast began to diffuse throughout the house, a smoky blanket spreading from the kitchen. Soon, even the cat's snores smelled like charcoal, and the panic was less intense, just a general feeling of toast tragedy.

My pet rock, Reginald, decided to have a spontaneous disco party. He somehow managed to diffuse glitter all over the entire living room, making the intense sparkle much less concentrated on his tiny, sparkly head. Now, every surface looks like a unicorn sneezed.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The tension in the room began to diffuse. What started as sharp, angry words slowly softened, their intensity lessening as people took deep breaths and looked away. The fear started to diffuse, replaced by a quiet, hopeful calm.

The stench of burnt sugar and plastic began to diffuse through the cramped workshop, a grim testament to the failed experiment. What started as a potent, acrid cloud was now a sickeningly sweet haze, spreading out, softening its initial violent intensity into a pervasive, cloying presence that clung to everything.

The intense pressure in the lab finally began to diffuse. Hours of anxious pacing and muttered equations had left the air thick with worry, but as the successful data scrolled across the screen, the tension seemed to loosen, spreading out until it was just a faint hum of relief.

My cat, Bartholomew, has an uncanny ability to diffuse his shedding. One minute, he's a fluffy cloud on the couch; the next, his fur has managed to diffuse itself into a fine, airborne mist, coating every surface in a light, ticklish layer of Bartholomew. He really excels at spreading out.

Barnaby, a renowned polka enthusiast, attempted to share his love of accordion music with his pet goldfish, Bartholomew. He figured if he played loudly enough, the joyous melodies would diffuse throughout Bartholomew’s small tank. Instead, the vibrations caused Bartholomew to vigorously shake his tiny fins, scattering fish flakes and Barnaby's hopes of a musical interspecies bond.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The crowd's initial excitement began to diffuse as the long wait continued. What started as a focused, energetic anticipation started to spread out, becoming less intense and more restless with each passing minute.

The hushed awe of the spectators began to diffuse as the glacial tide receded. What had been a sharp, unifying gasp, a single breath held by hundreds, now fractured into scattered murmurs. The initial shock faded, its intensity lessening, as the vast, indifferent expanse reasserted its presence.

The scent of burning magnesium began to diffuse through the cramped workshop, stinging eyes and thickening the air. We hoped the fumes would diffuse quickly, before the inspectors arrived. The acrid smell, a testament to our hurried, desperate work, was impossible to ignore, its intensity an unwelcome harbinger.

The aroma of burnt toast began to diffuse throughout the kitchen, an uninvited guest at breakfast. My carefully planned culinary masterpiece, intended to impress, was now spreading out over a wider area than the smoke detector would appreciate, its intense fragrance thankfully beginning to diffuse into something slightly less pungent, thankfully.

The competitive eater, having consumed a truly prodigious quantity of pickled onions, found the pungent aroma begin to diffuse from his pores, creating an olfactory nebula that sent nearby pigeons into a bewildered frenzy. He blamed the chili festival for the unexpected aromatic escalation.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

After the initial shock, the overwhelming fear began to diffuse. It wasn't that the danger had vanished, but the intense, paralyzing dread started to spread out, becoming less potent as I focused on practical steps. A semblance of order, albeit fragile, began to emerge from the chaos.

The acrid smoke began to diffuse from the ruptured containment unit, an unnerving amber haze that steadily obscured the reinforced viewport. Panic, once a sharp, localized terror, started to diffuse through the crew, a creeping dread that permeated every compartment as escape routes dwindled.

The initial shock began to diffuse, its suffocating grip loosening as the sheer magnitude of the discovery became apparent. Whispers of disbelief started to spread, no longer a concentrated wave of panic but a more muted, widespread murmuring throughout the cavernous observation chamber.

My uncle's infamous chili recipe, an agglomeration of questionable ingredients and volcanic spices, tends to diffuse throughout the entire neighborhood, much to the chagrin of unsuspecting canine companions and anyone harboring a penchant for placid digestive tracts. Its aromatic pervasiveness is truly… remarkable.

The aroma of burnt toast and existential dread began to diffuse throughout Bartholomew's microscopic abode, a testament to his lamentable culinary aptitude. Each acrid puff, a palpable emanation of his utter despair, seemed to coalesce and then, with an almost sentient malevolence, diffuse, engulfing his beleaguered petunias in a pall of culinary ignominy.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

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