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Prepositions after verbs

Imbue with, in, by, or onto?

Imbue is normally followed by with to show the quality or feeling added to something. The other prepositions are uncommon or belong to separate sentence elements.

Quick answer

The standard pattern with imbue

Use imbue with to mean filling someone or something with a quality, feeling, or idea. Imbue in, imbue by, and imbue onto are generally nonstandard as direct complements.

The speech was imbued with optimism.
Parents try to imbue children with confidence.
The novel is imbued with historical detail.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
imbue with + quality

Adding a feeling or characteristic

With introduces the quality or idea given to someone or something.

The ceremony imbued the occasion with dignity.
Her teaching style is imbued with patience.
2
imbue someone with + trait

Giving a person a quality

Use this pattern for values, emotions, or abilities.

The coach imbued the team with confidence.
The experience imbued him with determination.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
imbue with
The design is imbued with cultural symbolism.
standard and idiomatic pattern
imbue in
The values are deeply rooted in the community.
in is not normally used directly after imbue
imbue by
The room was filled with warmth from the fireplace.
by is not a standard complement after imbue
imbue onto
The artist projected meaning onto the canvas.
onto is not idiomatic with imbue; other verbs are preferred

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using in after imbue

Use with to introduce the quality being added.

✕ The film is imbued in nostalgia. ✓ The film is imbued with nostalgia.

Using onto with abstract qualities

Imbue does not normally combine with onto.

✕ They imbued hope onto the project. ✓ They imbued the project with hope.

Using by instead of with

With is the standard preposition after imbue.

✕ She imbued the story by emotion. ✓ She imbued the story with emotion.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The novel is imbued ___ mystery.
2. The teacher imbued the students ___ curiosity.
3. Which sentence is standard English?

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Frequently asked questions

What preposition follows imbue?

The normal preposition is with.

Is imbue in correct?

Not usually. English normally uses imbue with instead.

Can imbue be used in passive voice?

Yes. Expressions like imbued with confidence or imbued with meaning are very common.

identify-with-by-in-as, for "ignore by" or "ignore in"? illuminate by, with, at, for or in? "illustrate by" or "illustrate in"? "imagine for", "imagine by" or "imagine in"? immigrate to, from, in, with or into? impair by, for, in, because or throughout? "impart to", "impart in" or "impart by"? "impeach by" or "impeach for"? "impinge on" or "impinge upon"? "implement in" or "implement by"? "imply by" or "imply in"?

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