all-pervading

IPA/ˌɔːl pəˈveɪdɪŋ/
IPA/ˌɔːl pərˈveɪdɪŋ/

all-pervading — adjective

1. existing in or spreading through every part of a place, situation, or area of li

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

existing in or spreading through every part of a place, situation, or area of life, so that its effect is felt everywhere and nothing is left untouched by it

Example

An all-pervading smell of damp rose from the old library's basement after the flood.

collocation: all-pervading + smell / damp / atmosphere

A sense of all-pervading calm settled over Kofi as he sat beside the quiet lake.

Common collocations
  • all-pervading + atmosphere
  • all-pervading + sense
  • all-pervading + feeling
  • all-pervading + gloom
  • all-pervading + smell
  • all-pervading + influence
  • all-pervading + presence
Synonyms
  • pervasive

    more common in everyday use; 'all-pervading' suggests a stronger, more total coverage

  • ubiquitous

    focuses on being found everywhere rather than spreading through every part

  • omnipresent

    often used in religious or figurative contexts for something felt everywhere at once

Antonyms
  • absent

    not present at all, the opposite of being felt everywhere

  • scarce

    present in small amounts, not reaching every part

Grammar Patterns

all-pervading + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used attributively (before a noun). The noun it modifies is typically an abstract or sensory quality such as atmosphere, feeling, smell, gloom, or influence. The word carries a literary or formal tone and is less common in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

The smell was all-pervading the room.
An all-pervading smell filled the room.
'all-pervading' is an adjective, not a verb; use it before a noun, not as a verb.

Word family

  • pervade
    verbC1
  • pervasive
    adjectiveB2
  • pervasively
    adverbC1
  • pervasiveness
    nounC1
  • all-pervadingly
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe something widespread, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Pervasive' is the most common choice in everyday writing (a pervasive smell, a pervasive sense of unease) and implies gradual spread through every part. 'Ubiquitous' emphasises being found everywhere at once (ubiquitous smartphones, ubiquitous advertisements) without necessarily saturating each part. 'Omnipresent' carries a religious or literary flavour (God is omnipresent; an omnipresent feeling of dread) and suggests presence in all places simultaneously. 'All-encompassing' is broader — it includes not just coverage of space but also the idea that nothing is left out (an all-encompassing theory, an all-encompassing love). For describing an atmosphere or quality that fills every corner of a particular place, 'all-pervading' and 'pervasive' are the closest matches.

pervasive ↗ubiquitous ↗omnipresent ↗all-encompassing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Formed from the adverb 'all' (Old English 'eall', meaning 'entirely, wholly') plus the present participle of 'pervade', which comes from Latin 'pervadere' — 'per-' (through) + 'vadere' (to go). The literal sense is 'going through every part', which developed into the modern meaning of something spread throughout and affecting everything.