What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
proliferate
Example
The use of social media has caused fake news to proliferate. [proliferate: verb]
Example
The cancer cells continued to proliferate despite treatment. [proliferating: present participle]
spread
Example
The virus began to spread rapidly throughout the community. [spread: verb]
Example
She spread the butter on the toast with a knife. [spread: past tense]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Spread is more commonly used than proliferate in everyday language. Spread is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while proliferate is less common and tends to be used in more formal or technical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between proliferate and spread?
Proliferate is more formal than spread. While spread can be used in both formal and informal contexts, proliferate is typically reserved for more technical or scientific writing.
