diffuse
gb/dɪfjˈuz/ us/dɪfjˈuz/
C1
Inglés
~ 9500
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
C1
property
1
spread out and not concentrated
Spread out over a wide area and not strong or focused in one place.
Patrón de uso:
a diffuse [thing] / [thing] is diffuse
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use "vague" instead of "diffuse". "Vague" means not clear in meaning, while "diffuse" here describes something physically or visually spread out and not concentrated, especially light, smoke, or groups of things.
Sinónimos
spread-out (More casual and literal; common in everyday speech, less formal than "diffuse".)
|
scattered (Suggests things are in many places, sometimes more randomly or messily than "diffuse".)
Antónimos
concentrated (Emphasizes being gathered in one small area, the opposite of being spread out.)
|
focused (Stresses having a clear center or point, unlike the soft, spread quality of "diffuse".)
Colocaciones
diffuse light
|diffuse glow
|diffuse background
|diffuse population
|diffuse cloud cover
|soft diffuse lighting
Temas
science
|nature
|description
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The curtains let in a soft, diffuse light that made the room feel calm.
- Because the city is so diffuse, you really need a car to get around.
- The painting has a diffuse background, with no sharp lines or clear horizon.
- Under the thick fog, the sun was only a diffuse glow in the sky.
- The disease caused a diffuse rash that covered most of his back and chest.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The lamp gives a warm, diffuse light in the evening.
- In this area, the houses are diffuse and far apart.
- A diffuse cloud of smoke hung over the city.
- We walked through the forest in the diffuse morning light.
Verbo
C1
action
2
to spread out over an area
To move or make something move slowly outwards so that it covers a wide area or passes through something.
Patrón de uso:
to diffuse [substance/light/idea] through [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners often confuse "diffuse" with "defuse". "Diffuse" means to spread something out (e.g. "The gas diffuses through the room"), while "defuse" means to make something less dangerous or tense (e.g. "They tried to defuse the crisis"). "Defuse" is the standard verb for reducing tension, not "diffuse".
Sinónimos
spread (More general and common; does not carry the slow, even movement that "diffuse" often suggests in scientific or careful descriptions.)
|
disperse (Often used for things breaking up and moving apart; can sound more sudden or active than "diffuse".)
Antónimos
concentrate (Means bringing things together into a smaller area, the opposite of letting them spread out.)
|
contain (Focuses on keeping something from spreading, the opposite action of allowing it to diffuse.)
Colocaciones
diffuse through the air
|diffuse through a membrane
|gases diffuse
|diffuse into the bloodstream
|diffuse across a boundary
|diffuse rapidly
Temas
science
|physics
|chemistry
|ideas
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The smell of fresh bread quickly diffused through the whole apartment building.
- Oxygen molecules diffuse through the thin walls of the lungs into the blood.
- The ink slowly diffused through the water, turning it a pale blue.
- New technologies tend to diffuse through society more quickly than in the past.
- Heat will naturally diffuse from the hot metal rod into the cooler air around it.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The smell from the kitchen diffused through the house.
- Light from the window diffuses through the white curtains.
- Ideas from the internet can diffuse very fast today.
- Salt will slowly diffuse through the soup if you do not stir it.
adjective
formal
C2
property
3
wordy and not well organized
Using a lot of words in a way that is not clear or well organized, so it is difficult to understand.
Patrón de uso:
a diffuse [text/speech/argument]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use "confused" when they mean "diffuse" about writing. "Confused" describes the writer or reader, while "diffuse" describes the text itself as too long and not well organized.
Sinónimos
wordy (Very close in meaning but more everyday; focuses mainly on using too many words.)
|
rambling (Adds a stronger sense of going off-topic or wandering without clear direction.)
|
verbose (Formal; emphasizes unnecessary length and complexity in language.)
Antónimos
concise (Describes language that uses only a few, well-chosen words, the opposite of diffuse writing.)
|
clear (Focuses on ease of understanding, which diffuse writing usually lacks.)
Colocaciones
diffuse writing
|diffuse style
|diffuse argument
|diffuse explanation
|diffuse essay
|long and diffuse
Temas
communication
|education
|writing
Ejemplos
- The report was so diffuse that no one was sure what action was being proposed.
- Her first draft was long and diffuse, but the final version was sharp and to the point.
- The lecturer's diffuse style made a difficult subject even harder to understand.
- Editors cut several diffuse chapters to improve the pace of the book.
- His explanation was too diffuse to be useful in an emergency.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The article is long and diffuse, so it is hard to read.
- Your answer is a bit diffuse; please make it shorter and clearer.
- His speech was diffuse, and many people stopped listening.
- Teachers told her that her writing was diffuse and needed better structure.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
diffuse
AFI
GB/dɪfjˈuz/
US/dɪfjˈuz/
Sílabas y acento
dif - fuse (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fuse)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: diffuse
Verb
- Base: diffuse
- 3rd Person Singular: diffuses
- Present Participle: diffusing
- Past: diffused
Familia de palabras
Forms
diffuses
verb
diffusing
verb
diffused
verb
Core family
diffusion
noun C1
Related words
diffuser
noun
diffusely
adverb
Advanced or less common
diffusive
adjective
diffuseness
noun
Expresiones
diffuse light
1/dɪfjˈuz lˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
soft, spread-out light
Light that is soft and gentle because it is spread out and not coming from one strong point.
Ejemplos
- Photographers often prefer diffuse light on cloudy days because it reduces harsh shadows.
- We used a white screen to create diffuse light for the product photos.
diffuse reflection
1/dɪfjˈus ɹɪflˈɛkʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
scattered light reflection
Reflection of light from a rough surface, where the light is spread in many directions instead of in one clear beam.
Ejemplos
- Matte paint creates diffuse reflection, which helps avoid glare on the walls.
- In physics, we distinguish between specular reflection and diffuse reflection.
diffuse through
1/dɪfjˈuz θɹˈu/
fixed phrase
technical
spread through a medium
To move and spread slowly through a substance, such as air, water, or tissue.
Ejemplos
- Carbon dioxide molecules diffuse through the air and rise into the atmosphere.
- The dye will gradually diffuse through the gel over several hours.