# permeate

/ˈpɝmiˌeɪt/ (US) · /pˈɜːmɪˌeɪt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/permeate
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

to spread through every part of something, like water through cloth. You use this when a smell, feeling, or idea fills a whole place.

For teachers: to spread or diffuse through every part of a material, space, or system. Often describes liquids, gases, light, or abstract influences such as ideas and moods.

## Examples

- Fresh bread smell permeates the whole kitchen.
- After the rain, the scent of wet soil permeates the garden and drifts through the open windows.
- By the late 1960s, a quiet scepticism about authority had begun to permeate university campuses, shaping debates far beyond politics.

## Synonyms

fill, soak, pervade, saturate

## Usage notes

- Transitive in most uses; often followed by 'through' or 'into' when the path is specified.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.