- Today's Word
Permeate
PUR-mee-ayt
Definition
- (verb) To spread throughout or penetrate every part of something.
Example
The scent of freshly baked bread permeated the entire house, making everyone’s mouth water.
Fun Fact
Permeation is a fundamental concept in science, from how water seeps through soil to how ideas spread through culture. The term is often used metaphorically—love can permeate a story, tension can permeate a room, and innovation can permeate an industry. Interestingly, in physics and chemistry, permeability describes how easily substances (like gases or liquids) move through materials, which is why certain fabrics “breathe” better than others!
(noun) The state of having a damaged or lost reputation; being held in low regard by others or by the public.
The firm’s disrepute spread faster than any press release could contain — three clients left before the week was out.
Disrepute combines the prefix dis- meaning “away” or “reversal” with repute, from the Latin reputare — “to reckon” or “to think over” — built from re- (“again”) and putare (“to think” or “to reckon”). Repute entered English in the 15th century meaning the general opinion held of someone; disrepute followed as its logical opposite, describing the condition of having that opinion turn decisively negative.