Please, sign up or log in to not lose your learning progress!

How "diffuse the situation" spreads confusion, not calm

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 14/10/2024, 16:45

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

Diffuse the situation or defuse the situation. What's correct?

Malapropism

Why do people make this mistake?

People often confuse "diffuse" with "defuse" because they sound similar and both can imply reducing tension, but they have different meanings. "Diffuse" means to spread out, while "defuse" refers to making a situation less tense, akin to deactivating a bomb.

What is correct?

The correct phrase is "defuse the situation" meaning to reduce tension or resolve a conflict.

Examples of correct usage

The mediator was called in to defuse the situation before it escalated.
He tried to defuse the argument by changing the subject.
The manager stepped in to defuse tensions between the two employees.

Recommended posts in Grammar

Faint praise for "feint praise": a slip of the tongue

Faint praise for "feint praise": a slip of the tongue

People mix up "feint" and "faint" because they sound similar, ... Learn more →

Don't say "wait me" — here's why

Don't say "wait me" — here's why

People often make this error due to direct translation from ... Learn more →

Why "I'm bias" doesn't say what you think

Why "I'm bias" doesn't say what you think

People often mistakenly use "bias" as an adjective instead of ... Learn more →

Loathe the error: why "to loath" doesn't work

Loathe the error: why "to loath" doesn't work

People often mistakenly drop the "e" in "loathe", confusing it ... Learn more →