imbue
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to instil or inspire (with ideals, principles, etc)
his sermons were imbued with the spirit of the Reformation
-
rare to soak, esp with moisture, dye, etc
Other Word Forms
- imbuement noun
- preimbue verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of imbue
First recorded in 1545–55, imbue is from the Latin word imbuere “to wet, drench”
Explanation
To imbue is to fill up with or become "soaked" in an idea or emotion, as a sponge takes in water. One visit to a sick relative in a hospital might be enough to imbue a child with a lifelong ambition to become a doctor. You can use imbue in a similar way as "saturate," or "soak through," to describe a filling or absorbing. A "hue" is a color, and it rhymes with imbue. When you're imbued with something, you are, in a way, colored by it. If you imbue a dish sponge with oily orange water from a spaghetti bowl, the color and the oil soak in. To fill people with qualities or emotions is, for example, to imbue them with strength or optimism.
Vocabulary lists containing imbue
Grade 11, List 5
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Death of a Salesman
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The Scarlet Letter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While eager to imbue him with reverential status, the Party is simultaneously wary that almost any discussion of Mao's legacy could rake up uncomfortable memories.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
But Roslyn Ruff, a talented actor who speaks the verse with commendable clarity, fails to imbue the character with the necessary domineering imperiousness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
Ely was a favorite opener for veteran rock acts looking to imbue sets with Texas country swagger.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025
"Artificial intelligence lacks feelings and memories; in short, it has no nafas... It can't imbue it into food."
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
Ernest’s genius, Seaborg perceived, was to draw into his orbit like-minded scientists in every field, not just physics, and imbue them with his own drive to build and perfect his magnificent invention.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
