imbue
/ɪmˈbju/verb
imbue is spelled I-M-B-U-E: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,063rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, imbue means “To instill or inspire (someone) with a certain quality, feeling, or idea” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in imbue?
| Letters | 5: I-M-B-U-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 58,063rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is imbue?
Imbue appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,063rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce imbue?
- UK /ɪmˈbjuː/
- US /ɪmˈbju/
Imbue has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-imbue.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with imbue?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as imbue from its last stressed vowel (/u/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of imbue
- imbues present, singular, he/she/it
- imbuing participle, present
- imbued participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does imbue mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To instill or inspire (someone) with a certain quality, feeling, or idea.
- 2
To wet or stain an object completely with some physical quality.
The shirt was imbued with his scent.
- 3
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Imbue in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | imprégner |
| German | tränken , durchdringen |
| Portuguese | imbuir, impregnar |
| Spanish | imbuir , insuflar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does imbue come from?
From Latin imbuō (“wet, moisten”). Compare imbibe.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).