Synonyms of inoculate

inoculate

verb

i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlāt 

as in to suffuse

to cause (as a person) to become filled or saturated with a certain quality or principle

inoculated them with the idea that the individual can always make a difference in this world

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suffuse
• infuse
• inculcate
• invest
• imbue
• fill
• engrain
• steep
• flood
• ingrain
• indue
• charge
• overwhelm
• endue
• plant
• instill
• invigorate
• saturate
• enliven
• drown
• animate
• impregnate
• leaven
• permeate
• submerge
• pervade
• implant
• inundate
• deluge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deprive
• eliminate
• remove
• take (away)
• divest
• clear
• strip
• empty

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inoculate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inoculate are imbue, infuse, ingrain, leaven, and suffuse. While all these words mean "to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout," inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

In what contexts can imbue take the place of inoculate?

While in some cases nearly identical to inoculate, imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

imbue students with intellectual curiosity

Where would infuse be a reasonable alternative to inoculate?

The words infuse and inoculate can be used in similar contexts, but infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

new members infused enthusiasm into the club

When is it sensible to use ingrain instead of inoculate?

The words ingrain and inoculate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

clung to ingrained habits

When might leaven be a better fit than inoculate?

The meanings of leaven and inoculate largely overlap; however, leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

a serious play leavened with comic moments

When could suffuse be used to replace inoculate?

Although the words suffuse and inoculate have much in common, suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

a room suffused with light

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inoculate

No one knows exactly how golden oyster mushrooms escaped into the wild, whether from a grow kit, a commercial mushroom farm or outdoor logs inoculated with golden oysters – a home-cultivation technique where mushroom mycelium is placed into logs to colonize the wood and produce mushrooms. —Aishwarya Veerabahu, The Conversation, 16 July 2025

The Rockets are now in a position to trade five of their own firsts — in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2032 — in any future blockbuster that comes to pass in the next 24 months, because the Suns’ picks in 2027 and 2029 inoculate them from the Stepien rule. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 June 2025

The myth seemed a striking example of the geopolitical power of storytelling: the tale’s boosters have helped motivate a quiet region into controversial global advocacy—and inoculated it against the antiwar repulsion sweeping the rest of the world. —Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025

Researchers inoculated various foods, from roast beef and chicken thighs to eggs and leftover casseroles, with bacteria and then prepared the dishes with different culinary methods—say, grilling versus microwaving or roasting. —Amanda Heidt, Scientific American, 18 June 2025

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