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English speakers borrowed pervade in the mid-17th century from Latin pervadere, meaning "to go through." Pervadere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per-, meaning "through," with the verb vadere, meaning "to go." Synonyms of pervade include permeate, impregnate, and saturate. Pervade stresses a spreading diffusion throughout every part of a whole ("art and music pervade every aspect of their lives"). Permeate implies diffusion specifically throughout a material thing ("the smell of freshly baked bread permeated the house"). Impregnate suggests a forceful influence or effect on something throughout ("impregnate the cotton with alcohol"). Saturate is used when nothing more may be taken up or absorbed ("the cloth is saturated with water").
Synonyms
Examples of pervade in a Sentence
Tamar Renaud, New York Daily News, 22 June 2024
The heat wave is pervading the entirety of Greece, with authorities closing down the acropolis on Thursday.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 14 June 2024
There is a certain sense of intimacy that pervades the fair.
—Sarah Belmont, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2024
Signs of a wider struggle Some Latino voter advocates point to broader feelings of cynicism and disillusionment pervading the Hispanic electorate, elsewhere in Texas and around the country.
—Jazmine Ulloa, New York Times, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for pervade 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pervade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pervade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervade. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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