Words / C2

im-BYOO/ɪmˈbjuː/

To imbue is to fill a person, place, or thing with a quality or idea: imbue with confidence, imbued with a sense of duty. Fill with is everyday; infuse is a cousin (often liquid or flavour). Imbibe is drink — a lookalike. Do not write imbue for a training video that never reached the rota.

Meaning

To fill someone or something with a feeling, quality, or idea (imbue with).

Examples

• “A brand film cannot imbue a rota with a spare invigilator.”
• “Fill with is everyday. Infuse tea, or infuse a team with energy, is a cousin. Imbibe is drink. You imbue X with Y. A slogan on the wall is not a quality in the staff.”

Good to know

Fill with a quality (imbue with). Everyday: fill with. Cousin: infuse. Mix-up: imbibe (drink). A film is not a post.

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