Diffuse
adjective
Spread out over a large area, not concentrated.
She lit a candle to diffuse a sweet scent in her room.
verb
To spread something or move it around a large area.
Sunlight diffuses through the window.
adjective
Not thinking clearly or expressing something clearly.
His diffuse explanations confused the learners.
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To make a bad or tense situation less severe.
The negotiator was able to diffuse the crisis successfully.
adjective
Spread out over a large area, not concentrated.
She lit a candle to diffuse a sweet scent in her room.
verb
To spread something or move it around a large area.
Sunlight diffuses through the window.
adjective
Not thinking clearly or expressing something clearly.
His diffuse explanations confused the learners.
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To make a bad or tense situation less severe.
The negotiator was able to diffuse the crisis successfully.
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Spread
Use 'diffuse' to describe things spread over physical spaces, like light or smell.
The fog diffused across the harbor.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Physical
'Diffuse' also explains the spread of intangible things, like ideas or trends.
The new fashion trend diffused quickly through social media.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Connotation
The adjective form is neutral, it doesn't imply if being spread out is good or bad.
The diffuse lighting created a soft ambiance in the café.
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Spread
Use 'diffuse' to describe things spread over physical spaces, like light or smell.
The fog diffused across the harbor.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Physical
'Diffuse' also explains the spread of intangible things, like ideas or trends.
The new fashion trend diffused quickly through social media.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Connotation
The adjective form is neutral, it doesn't imply if being spread out is good or bad.
The diffuse lighting created a soft ambiance in the café.
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Spread
Use 'diffuse' to describe things spread over physical spaces, like light or smell.
The fog diffused across the harbor.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Physical
'Diffuse' also explains the spread of intangible things, like ideas or trends.
The new fashion trend diffused quickly through social media.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Connotation
The adjective form is neutral, it doesn't imply if being spread out is good or bad.
The diffuse lighting created a soft ambiance in the café.
Compare with
broadcastcirculatedispersedisseminatordistractibilitypublishscatterspread outspread
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Video examples
Steven Pinker and...
The advantages derived from peace diffuse themselves far and wide, and reach great numbers, while in war, if anything turns out happily, the advantage redounds only to a few, and those unworthy of reaping it. One man's safety is owing to the destruction of another. One man's prize is derived from the plunder of another.
Video examples
Thomas Piketty: New...
we are almost back to the pre-World War I level. So there are really two different parts of the story here. One has to do with the total quantity of wealth that we accumulate, and there is nothing bad per se, of course, in accumulating a lot of wealth, and in particular if it is more diffuse
Video examples
How we can protect truth...
how many people become entangled in this information cascade and so on. And what we did in this paper was we compared the spread of true news to the spread of false news. And here's what we found. We found that false news diffused further, faster, deeper and more broadly than the truth
Video examples
How North America got...
and it diffuses water into the magma-filled mantle. That lowers the magma's melting point and makes it rise into the overlying North American plate. From a subterranean chamber, the magma travels upwards and erupts along a chain of volcanos. Magma still deep underground slowly cools,
Video examples
What doctors don't know...
And yet, for some reason, if somebody conducts 10 studies but only publishes the five that give the result that they want, we don't consider that to be research misconduct. And when that responsibility is diffused between a whole network of researchers, academics,
Video examples
How do ventilators work?...
But mechanical ventilators take over the process, getting oxygen into the body when the respiratory system cannot. These machines can bypass constricted airways, and deliver highly oxygenated air to help damaged lungs diffuse more oxygen.
Video examples
Mind-blowing, magnified...
and I treat each one of those sections like a small still life. So for example, if I was photographing the eye of the insect, which is normally quite smooth and dome-shaped, then I'd use a light source that is large and soft and diffuse,
Video examples
Jim & Jamie Dutcher: The...
have observed that normally Omega wolves instigate play in an effort to diffuse pack tension maitake was good at this and when she died the other wolves lost the spirit to play another indication of their change behavior is the way they
Video examples
Best Monkey Moments PIPE...
of all monkeys the gossipy banter can sound to scientists like sentences with words or even names for each other most agree it's often used to diffuse tension
Video examples
Breaking the silence...
application the same message can be diffused simultaneously as an MMS such that all these persons and the area have the chance to access to the information
Video examples
Steven Pinker and...
The advantages derived from peace diffuse themselves far and wide, and reach great numbers, while in war, if anything turns out happily, the advantage redounds only to a few, and those unworthy of reaping it. One man's safety is owing to the destruction of another. One man's prize is derived from the plunder of another.
Video examples
Thomas Piketty: New...
we are almost back to the pre-World War I level. So there are really two different parts of the story here. One has to do with the total quantity of wealth that we accumulate, and there is nothing bad per se, of course, in accumulating a lot of wealth, and in particular if it is more diffuse
Video examples
How we can protect truth...
how many people become entangled in this information cascade and so on. And what we did in this paper was we compared the spread of true news to the spread of false news. And here's what we found. We found that false news diffused further, faster, deeper and more broadly than the truth
Video examples
How North America got...
and it diffuses water into the magma-filled mantle. That lowers the magma's melting point and makes it rise into the overlying North American plate. From a subterranean chamber, the magma travels upwards and erupts along a chain of volcanos. Magma still deep underground slowly cools,
Video examples
What doctors don't know...
And yet, for some reason, if somebody conducts 10 studies but only publishes the five that give the result that they want, we don't consider that to be research misconduct. And when that responsibility is diffused between a whole network of researchers, academics,
Video examples
How do ventilators work?...
But mechanical ventilators take over the process, getting oxygen into the body when the respiratory system cannot. These machines can bypass constricted airways, and deliver highly oxygenated air to help damaged lungs diffuse more oxygen.
Video examples
Mind-blowing, magnified...
and I treat each one of those sections like a small still life. So for example, if I was photographing the eye of the insect, which is normally quite smooth and dome-shaped, then I'd use a light source that is large and soft and diffuse,
Video examples
Jim & Jamie Dutcher: The...
have observed that normally Omega wolves instigate play in an effort to diffuse pack tension maitake was good at this and when she died the other wolves lost the spirit to play another indication of their change behavior is the way they
Video examples
Best Monkey Moments PIPE...
of all monkeys the gossipy banter can sound to scientists like sentences with words or even names for each other most agree it's often used to diffuse tension
Video examples
Breaking the silence...
application the same message can be diffused simultaneously as an MMS such that all these persons and the area have the chance to access to the information
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Ed Sheeran
English Musician
Try to find someone with a sense of humor. That's an important thing to have because when you get into an argument, one of the best ways to diffuse it is to be funny. You don't want to hide away from a point, because some points are serious, but you'd rather have a discussion that was a discussion, rather than an argument.
Quote examples
Cesare Beccaria
Italian Judge
In every human society, there is an effort continually tending to confer on one part the height of power and happiness, and to reduce the other to the extreme of weakness and misery. The intent of good laws is to oppose this effort and to diffuse their influence universally and equally.
Quote examples
Martin Rees
British Scientist
In the case of climate change, the threat is long-term and diffuse and requires broad international action for the benefit of people decades in the future. And in politics, the urgent always trumps the important, and that is what makes it a very difficult and challenging issue.
Quote examples
Bernardo Bertolucci
Italian Writer
I think politics is a higher build in life. You know? If you diffuse under normal, common sense of a story, you make it political. If you choose a conventional way for a story, or refuse to use the conventional way, you make it political.
Quote examples
Robert Wyatt
English Musician
Those nations of artists, finding their own individualism, and kind of standing against the world: to me that's the ultimate nightmare. I want to get lost and diffused in the world.
Quote examples
Steven Seagal
American Actor
Everybody certainly has the right to defend themselves. That's not to say that they should defy common sense by avoiding or diffusing confrontation. And that's very, very important.
Quote examples
Romany Malco
American Actor
I learned early in life that laughter is a great way to diffuse and uncomfortable situation, so I began to use that as a tool, throughout my life.
Quote examples
Elliott Carter
American Composer
These wealthy people were very interested in contemporary music. They wanted to help diffuse it and get it to be known to other people.
Quote examples
Antony Jay
British Writer
Referring the matter to a committee' can be a device for diluting authority, diffusing responsibility and delaying decisions.
Quote examples
Mary Helen Bowers
American Dancer
Making fitness a priority will energize you, make you look and feel better, and help diffuse stress.
Quote examples
Ed Sheeran
English Musician
Try to find someone with a sense of humor. That's an important thing to have because when you get into an argument, one of the best ways to diffuse it is to be funny. You don't want to hide away from a point, because some points are serious, but you'd rather have a discussion that was a discussion, rather than an argument.
Quote examples
Cesare Beccaria
Italian Judge
In every human society, there is an effort continually tending to confer on one part the height of power and happiness, and to reduce the other to the extreme of weakness and misery. The intent of good laws is to oppose this effort and to diffuse their influence universally and equally.
Quote examples
Martin Rees
British Scientist
In the case of climate change, the threat is long-term and diffuse and requires broad international action for the benefit of people decades in the future. And in politics, the urgent always trumps the important, and that is what makes it a very difficult and challenging issue.
Quote examples
Bernardo Bertolucci
Italian Writer
I think politics is a higher build in life. You know? If you diffuse under normal, common sense of a story, you make it political. If you choose a conventional way for a story, or refuse to use the conventional way, you make it political.
Quote examples
Robert Wyatt
English Musician
Those nations of artists, finding their own individualism, and kind of standing against the world: to me that's the ultimate nightmare. I want to get lost and diffused in the world.
Quote examples
Steven Seagal
American Actor
Everybody certainly has the right to defend themselves. That's not to say that they should defy common sense by avoiding or diffusing confrontation. And that's very, very important.
Quote examples
Romany Malco
American Actor
I learned early in life that laughter is a great way to diffuse and uncomfortable situation, so I began to use that as a tool, throughout my life.
Quote examples
Elliott Carter
American Composer
These wealthy people were very interested in contemporary music. They wanted to help diffuse it and get it to be known to other people.
Quote examples
Antony Jay
British Writer
Referring the matter to a committee' can be a device for diluting authority, diffusing responsibility and delaying decisions.
Quote examples
Mary Helen Bowers
American Dancer
Making fitness a priority will energize you, make you look and feel better, and help diffuse stress.
Example 1 of 10
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