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English speakers borrowed pervade in the mid-17th century from Latin pervadere, meaning "to go through." Pervadere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per-, meaning "through," with the verb vadere, meaning "to go." Synonyms of pervade include permeate, impregnate, and saturate. Pervade stresses a spreading diffusion throughout every part of a whole ("art and music pervade every aspect of their lives"). Permeate implies diffusion specifically throughout a material thing ("the smell of freshly baked bread permeated the house"). Impregnate suggests a forceful influence or effect on something throughout ("impregnate the cotton with alcohol"). Saturate is used when nothing more may be taken up or absorbed ("the cloth is saturated with water").
Examples of pervade in a Sentence
Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
An interesting blend of triumph and cynicism pervades the finale, as the rebel guard No Eul (Park Gyu-young) manages to overpower the others, and free Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook), who returns to his daughter.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Then the juice is cooked again, reducing it to a syrup, and its flowery, caramel-like smell pervades the camp.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
The ongoing weakness in the dollar reflects the sense of uncertainty that has pervaded the economy in the last few months.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pervade
Cite this Entry
“Pervade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervade. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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