diffuse

Verb

diffuse (third-person singular simple present diffuses, present participle diffusing, simple past and past participle diffused)

1. (transitive) To spread (something) over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
   • The small window diffuses light throughout the room.
   • Ideas are easily diffused with the help of technology.
2. (intransitive) To be spread over or through as in air, water, or other matter, especially by fluid motion or passive means.
   • Food coloring diffuses in water.
   • The riot diffused quite suddenly.

Adjective

UK/dɪˈfjuːs/US/dɪˈfjus/

diffuse (comparative more diffuse, superlative most diffuse)

1. Everywhere or throughout everything; not focused or concentrated.
   • Such a diffuse effort is unlikely to produce good results.
   • diffuse activity of the prefrontal cortex

   Synonyms:

   spread out

2. Wordy; verbose.
   • '[…] A short account of myself, I believe, will be necessary, and it shall be a short one. On such a subject,' sighing heavily, 'I can have little temptation to be diffuse.'1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XXXI, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume III, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC
   • An author who produced over fifty books and innumerable articles on all kinds of subjects could not be a philosopher of the first rank. He was also a bad writer: his principal work is diffuse, chaotic, vague, and repetitive.1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in...

   Synonyms:

   palaverous