as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
a diffuse speech that took a great deal of time to make a very small point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disperse
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of diffuse
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not persuaded the protesters to stay off the streets.
—Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Mica and plant oils help the color glide and diffuse into a believable finish.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diffuse
Adjective
Knaff had been fighting cancer since November 2022, when he was diagnosed with a grade 4 H3G34 mutant diffuse hemispheric glioma, or more simply put, glioblastoma.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not persuaded the protesters to stay off the streets.
—Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Councilman Wes Rogers, who represents the Northland, had recently gotten involved, too, even knocking on King’s door to attempt to diffuse tension among the neighborhood.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Mica and plant oils help the color glide and diffuse into a believable finish.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diffuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diffuse
Adjective
-
Routh then read from a rambling, 20-page statement.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Also in the village, with lower prices, the June Lake Villager Motel is a rambling property beneath a vintage mid-century sign.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Officer Norma Eisenman, an LAPD spokeswoman, said police made 51 arrests Saturday evening, with 47 adults and three juveniles cited and released for failure to disperse.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Participants were also asked to discuss whether markets should be centrally located, located on the South and West sides or dispersed throughout the city.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Spanx AirEssentials Half Zip Half zip and quarter zip sweaters are having a moment, and this Spanx sweater elevates the style even further with a statement-making exaggerated collar.—
Taylor Fox,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
-
According to Nahmias, the low-top shoe’s design is meant to capture the mountainous ranges that meet the water throughout California and features an upper inspired by a popular skate shoe paired with an exaggerated sole made of lightweight materials.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In outpacing even most private-sector calculations, the INDEC inflation figure published Tuesday dispelled concerns — at least for now — that the government was cooking the books in any way comparable to his predecessors.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But though more recent evidence has suggested otherwise, it’s been hard to dispel the old theory, particularly because remnants of boats and fishing supplies—made from organic materials—were largely missing from the archaeological record.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dunleavy was more talkative about the Warriors’ flexibility in both the present and offseason, when Porzingis’ contract expires and the Warriors still possess all of their draft picks.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Loud, funny and talkative, The Big Bopper merged radio and rock stardom and became a larger-than-life entity with a true theatrical presence.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The recent snap of cold weather across Central Florida appears to be dissipating.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
-
But whatever momentum might have been generated by the first round of talks in January appeared to have dissipated by the start of the second gathering.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The steering has a natural, connected feel that's not artificially weighted, but is genuinely communicative.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Feb. 2026
-
This is an unusual position for an exponent of the public sphere and communicative rationality to take.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That’s why countries around the world agreed in December 2025 to add more than 70 shark and ray species to an international wildlife trade treaty’s list for full or partial protection.—
Gareth J. Fraser,
The Conversation,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diffuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffuse. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
