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Imbue vs Endow - What's the difference?

imbue | endow | Synonyms |

As verbs the difference between imbue and endow

is that imbue is : To wet or stain an object completely with some physical quality while endow is to furnish with money or its equivalent, as a permanent fund for support; to make pecuniary provision for; to settle an income upon; especially, to furnish with dower; as, to endow a wife; to endow a public institution.

imbue

English

Verb

(imbu)
  • (transitive): To wet or stain an object completely with some physical quality.
  • The shirt was imbued with his scent.
  • In general, to act in a way which results in an object becoming completely permeated or impregnated by some quality.
  • The entire text is imbued with the sense of melancholy and hopelessness.

    Usage notes

    * Imbue takes meaning from the word imbibe, which means "to absorb or to be filled with".

    endow

    English

    Alternative forms

    * indow (archaic)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To furnish with money or its equivalent, as a permanent fund for support; to make pecuniary provision for; to settle an income upon; especially, to furnish with dower; as, to endow a wife; to endow a public institution.
  • To enrich or furnish with anything of the nature of a gift (as a quality or faculty); — followed by with, rarely by of; as, man is endowed by his Maker with reason; to endow with privileges or benefits.
  • To bestow freely.
  • To be furnished with something naturally.
  • She was'' ''endowed'' ''with a beautiful voice.

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Derived terms

    * endowment

    Anagrams

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