pervade
Meaning: To spread throughout and be present in every part of something. Describes an influence, feeling, or quality that permeates an entire space or situation.
Pervade implies a thorough, often insidious spreading — a smell pervading a room, corruption pervading an institution, a sense of unease pervading a community. The adjective 'pervasive' is considerably more common than the verb and is one of the most frequently used formal adjectives in journalism. Pervade suggests something inescapable and all-encompassing. It collocates with 'atmosphere,' 'sense,' 'feeling,' 'culture,' and 'influence.'
Examples
- A sense of unease pervaded the organisation in the weeks before the restructuring. 在重组前的数周里,一种不安感弥漫了整个组织。Una sensación de inquietud pervadió la organización en las semanas previas a la reestructuración.組織再編前の数週間、不安感が組織全体に浸透していた。조직 개편 전 몇 주 동안 불안감이 조직 전체에 만연했다.
- The smell of damp pervaded every room in the neglected Victorian terrace. 潮湿的气味弥漫了这栋被忽视的维多利亚式联排别墅的每个房间。El olor a humedad pervadía todas las habitaciones de la descuidada casa adosada victoriana.放置されたヴィクトリア朝のテラスハウスのすべての部屋に、湿気の匂いが染み込んでいた。방치된 빅토리아 시대 연립주택의 모든 방에 습기 냄새가 배어 있었다.
- Corruption had pervaded the institution to such a degree that reform seemed impossible. 腐败已渗透到该机构的方方面面,以至于改革似乎不可能了。La corrupción había pervadido la institución hasta tal punto que la reforma parecía imposible.腐敗がその機関にあまりにも深く浸透していたため、改革は不可能に思えた。부패가 그 기관에 너무나 깊이 만연해 있어서 개혁이 불가능해 보였다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: journalism, literary
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin pervadere (to go through, to spread through), from per- (through) + vadere (to go). Entered English in the mid-17th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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