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'Defuse' means to make safe by removing a fuse, or to reduce tension; 'diffuse' means to spread widely, or the adjective for spread out.
Side-by-side comparison
"Defuse" means to deactivate a bomb or to relieve a tense situation before it explodes. The "de-" signals that you are removing the fuse or the tension.
The bomb disposal expert had ninety seconds to defuse the device before it detonated.
Her well-timed joke helped defuse the tension in what had become a hostile meeting.
Management tried to defuse the strike threat by opening emergency pay negotiations.
"Diffuse" means to spread or scatter something over a wide area: light, gas, information. It can also be an adjective for something vague or spread thin.
The social media campaign diffused the brand message across forty markets simultaneously.
Light diffuses through frosted glass, creating a soft, even glow without harsh shadows.
The report was too diffuse, it needed to be condensed into a sharper argument.
Common mistake
- •"She diffused the tension" when meaning she calmed it is wrong: the verb for calming or deactivating is "defuse".
- •"Diffuse" means to spread or scatter, tension is not spread, it is disarmed.
Trick to remember it
- •"Defuse" contains FUSE, you remove the fuse (trigger) to deactivate.
- •"Diffuse" has DIFF like "different directions", things spread in many directions.
Quick rule
- •Is it to deactivate or calm (like a tension bomb)? "Defuse".
- •Is it to spread out or the adjective for scattered? "Diffuse".
Did you know?
The error "diffuse the tension" instead of "defuse" is listed by many style guides as one of the most frequent mistakes in contemporary professional English. Diffusion in physics is the movement of particles from high to low concentration, why perfume spreads through a room without anyone moving it. "Defuse" is literally "de-fuse" = remove the fuse. The safety fuse was invented by William Bickford in 1831, dramatically reducing accidental mining explosions.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The manager stepped in to _____ the argument before it got out of hand.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The light was _____ d through the curtains, creating a soft glow in the room.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy