leaven

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb leaven differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of leaven are imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When is it sensible to use imbue instead of leaven?

The words imbue and leaven are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

When would infuse be a good substitute for leaven?

The synonyms infuse and leaven are sometimes interchangeable, but infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

In what contexts can ingrain take the place of leaven?

Although the words ingrain and leaven have much in common, ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When might inoculate be a better fit than leaven?

The meanings of inoculate and leaven largely overlap; however, inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

When could suffuse be used to replace leaven?

While the synonyms suffuse and leaven are close in meaning, suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

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 leaven Jewish law strictly forbids owning any chametz, or leavened food, during Passover. Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025 During Passover, Jewish families deep clean their kitchens and other parts of the home to remove every crumb of chametz, or leavened bread, in commemoration of their liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025 But the filmmakers leaven the mood before the hammer drops with a lovely interlude at the Omaha Zoo, an idea planted in Ella’s head by a friendly young mother in line to pay at a gas station. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025 Some endearing personalities and moments leaven the more nerve-wracking episodes. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leaven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaven
Verb
  • Inspiration is what enlivens and gives actual meaning to work.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • Jane Austen Wrecked My Life The Bottom Line Sweet rom-com enlivened by a delightful heroine.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • This project is animated by genuine passion—devoid of ego, rooted in care.
    Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 7 July 2025
  • What’s really lost is the living, breathing splendor that animates the story to the public and helps tether the present generation of fans and players to a past that must be memorialized lest this pivotal part of history be suppressed.
    Vahe Gregorian July 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Allies of President Trump have alleged that China rigged the 2020 results in former President Biden's favor, invigorating hardcore supporters to march on the Capitol, leading to the siege of January 6, 2021.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
  • Mars in Virgo invigorates stamina, pushing us toward change even though Saturn is encouraging us to stand still.
    Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Get creative: Try infusing water with fruit or herbs for a better taste.
    Helen Carefoot, Verywell Health, 11 July 2025
  • The premise of this all-foam mattress is the use of green tea and charcoal infused in its memory foam layers to keep out moisture that could result in germ and odor buildup.
    Julia Forbes, Wired News, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Imbued with empathy, Canseco is poised to extend the ambassador mentality inculcated at the fair in her first-in-her-family journey to college.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
  • Abe was part of a conservative faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and known for his association with Nippon Kaigi, an influential conservative organization that among other goals advocated teaching Japanese history to inculcate national pride.
    Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2022
Verb
  • Louis Thuillier was distraught by his inability to know the plight of his subjects; to view the photographs from the distance of a century can imbue the viewer with a similar melancholy.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
  • By creating a fuller picture which centers Medusa in her own story, Hynes creates a more dexterous Medusa, one imbued with more agency and less tragedy.
    Irenosen Okojie July 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • The Rockets are now in a position to trade five of their own firsts — in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2032 — in any future blockbuster that comes to pass in the next 24 months, because the Suns’ picks in 2027 and 2029 inoculate them from the Stepien rule.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 June 2025
  • Researchers inoculated various foods, from roast beef and chicken thighs to eggs and leftover casseroles, with bacteria and then prepared the dishes with different culinary methods—say, grilling versus microwaving or roasting.
    Amanda Heidt, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • The news people are announcing on repeat a mantra suffused with an English lilt in their mouths, that the fires haven’t gorged themselves on the rainforests like this in over half a century.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
  • What makes the series so delightful is Osman’s wicked sense of humor, and the empathy suffused throughout.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leaven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaven. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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