diffuse
dih-FYOOZverbMeaning to spread out over a wide area
Memory hook DIF-FUSE: poured out, spread APART. Pop! Lila’s pillow bursts, and the feathers spread out over the whole room, every which way. They diffuse.
A few drops of food coloring diffused slowly through the glass of water.
In context The paper lampshade diffused the light, spreading a soft glow across the whole room instead of one harsh, bright spot.
Similar spread, scatter, disperse, circulate
Opposite concentrate, gather, focus
From Latin diffundere, “to pour out, to spread”: dis (apart) + fundere (to pour).