Word: permeate (verb)

Associations

"Permeate" means to spread or pass through something completely. Think about how a smell can fill a room or how water can soak through a cloth.

• The smell of fresh bread permeated the entire house. (The smell spread everywhere inside the house.)
• The sunlight permeated the forest canopy. (Sunlight passed through the leaves.)
• Ideas of kindness should permeate our daily actions. (Kindness should spread through what we do every day.)

A similar word is "penetrate," but "penetrate" often means to enter or go through something with some force or effort, while "permeate" means to spread more gently and completely through something.

Substitution

Instead of "permeate," you can use:

• spread through (The smell spread through the room.)
• fill (The light filled the room.)
• soak through (The rain soaked through the clothes.)

Each word changes the feeling a little. For example, "soak through" is more about liquids, while "spread through" is more general.

Deconstruction

"Permeate" comes from Latin:

• "per-" means "through"
• "meare" means "to pass" or "to go" Together, it means "to pass through."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when a smell or sound permeated your surroundings?
• How might feelings like happiness or sadness permeate a group of people?
• Can ideas or beliefs permeate a culture or society? How?