ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsDdiffuse
ISEE/SSAThard
diffuse
Meaning: spread over a wide area rather than concentrated
diffuse in a sentence
How diffuse is used in real sentences:
Diffuse sunlight filtered through the thin morning clouds.
Because authority was diffuse, no single official controlled the entire agency.
“Authority on paper was diffuse: supervisors held similar titles across six departments, and official memoranda described their duties in nearly interchangeable language.”
— from the passage The Authority No Chart Showed
Synonyms for diffuse
Other words for diffuse — dispersed, scattered and widespread — carry the same meaning.
- dispersed
- scattered
- widespread
Antonyms of diffuse
Words that mean the opposite of diffuse:
- concentrated
- localized
- focused
Where it comes from
From Latin diffundere, meaning 'to pour in different directions.'
Word parts
- fus — pour
diffuse: dif- (apart; form of dis-) + fus (pour)
Memory hook
DIFFUSE sounds like 'different views': spread in many directions.