suffuse
gb/səfjˈuz/ us/səfjˈuz/
C1
English
áthat, eláraszt, elönt, elfut
VERB
C1
LITERARY
1
Usage pattern:
[something] suffuse(s) [place/thing]; [place/thing] be suffused with [light/color/feeling]
Soft morning light suffused the kitchen.
Lágy reggeli fény árasztotta el a konyhát.
A quiet optimism suffused the team after the announcement.
A bejelentés után csendes optimizmus hatotta át a csapatot.
The room was suffused with the smell of coffee and warm bread.
Learner examples
Light suffused the room.
A fény elárasztotta a szobát.
Her voice was suffused with anger.
A hangját áthatotta a düh.
Common mistake:
Often confused with suffice (meaning “be enough”). Also, suffuse is usually used with with: “suffused with light/anger.”
Meaning
spread through and fill
Collocations
suffused with light
|suffused with color
|suffused with warmth
|suffused with sadness
|suffused with joy
|suffused with anger
|softly suffused
|light suffused the room
|the air was suffused
|a feeling suffused him
Synonyms
pervade (More neutral and slightly more formal; emphasizes being everywhere.)
|
fill (More general; lacks the gentle, spreading sense.)
|
imbue (Focuses on being filled with a quality or feeling, often abstract.)
|
bathe (Often used specifically with light, suggesting it covers a surface.)
Antonyms
drain (Opposite idea of removing what fills or spreads through.)
|
clear (Suggests removing haze, color, or a pervasive quality.)
Themes
describing_things
|emotions
|literature
|visuals
Definition
to spread through something and fill it
To spread through and fill something, often so that it is gently covered or colored by a quality such as light, color, or a feeling.
VERB
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
[tears/blood/color] suffuse(s) [eyes/face]; [eyes/face] be suffused with [tears/blood/color]
Tears suffused her eyes as she read the letter.
Ahogy olvasta a levelet, könny futotta el a szemét.
His face was suffused with a sudden blush.
Arcát hirtelen pír öntötte el.
The injured area quickly suffused with redness.
Learner examples
Tears suffused his eyes.
Könny futotta el a szemét.
Her cheeks were suffused with a blush.
Orcáit pír öntötte el.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse it in everyday speech; in casual contexts, people usually say “fill,” “flood,” “well up,” or “flush.”
Meaning
flood eyes or face
Collocations
tears suffused her eyes
|eyes suffused with tears
|face suffused with tears
|cheeks suffused with blood
|skin suffused with color
|suffused with a blush
|suffused with redness
|eyes were suffused
|suddenly suffused
|momentarily suffused
Synonyms
flood (Stronger and more immediate; often used with eyes and tears.)
|
fill (More common and plain; less literary.)
|
flush (Specifically about the face turning red with emotion or heat.)
Antonyms
dry (Opposite of being filled with tears or liquid.)
|
pale (Opposite of becoming flushed with color.)
Themes
body_health
|emotions
|describing_things
|literature
Definition
(of tears or color) to fill the eyes or face
To fill or spread over a part of the body, especially the eyes or face, with liquid or color (such as tears or blood), so it looks flooded or flushed.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suffuse
IPA
GB/səfjˈuz/
US/səfjˈuz/
Syllables & stress
suf - fuse (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fuse)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: suffuse
- 3rd Person Singular: suffuses
- Present Participle: suffusing
- Past: suffused
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.