dissipate

verb

dis·​si·​pate ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt 

dissipated; dissipating

transitive verb

1

a

: to break up and drive off

dissipate a crowd

b

: to cause to spread thin or scatter and gradually vanish

one's sympathy is eventually dissipated

—Andrew Feinberg

c

physics : to lose (heat, electricity, etc.) irrecoverably

2

: to spend or use up wastefully or foolishly

dissipated the family fortune in reckless business ventures

intransitive verb

1

: to break up and scatter or vanish

The clouds dissipated and the sun came out.

The team's early momentum has dissipated.

2

: to be extravagant or dissolute in the pursuit of pleasure

especially : to drink to excess

his extended dissipating of the night before

dissipater noun

Synonyms

• clear out
• disband
• dispel
• disperse
• scatter
• squander

Choose the Right Synonym for dissipate

scatter, disperse, dissipate, dispel mean to cause to separate or break up.

scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

Examples of dissipate in a Sentence

The morning sun dissipated the fog.

The fog should dissipate soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Waning gibbous As the moon begins to wane and its luminosity dissipates, the waning gibbous phase marks a time of gratitude, reflection and surrender. —Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024

The heat is expected to dissipate in the region slightly by the weekend, but could be followed by more heat next week. —Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024

Edwards and Towns came alive as Dallas’ rim protection dissipated and, with it, the Mavericks’ excellent defense was compromised. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 May 2024

This mixed verdict — short-term calm, but lingering problems — shows that options do exist to solve the kind of conflict in which the U.S. is mired, or at least to dissipate tensions. —Maurice Samuels / Made By History, TIME, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin dissipatus, past participle of dissipare, dissupare, from dis- + supare to throw

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

dissipate

verb

dis·​si·​pate ˈdis-ə-ˌpāt 

dissipated; dissipating

1

: to break up and drive off

dissipate a crowd

2

: to use up wastefully or foolishly : squander

dissipated his fortune

3

: to separate into parts and scatter or vanish

4

: to be unrestrained in the pursuit of pleasure

especially : to drink to excess

Legal Definition

dissipate

transitive verb

dis·​si·​pate ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt 

dissipated; dissipating

: to use (marital assets) for one's own benefit and to the exclusion of one's spouse for a purpose unrelated to the marriage at a time when the marriage is undergoing an irretrievable breakdown

dissipation

ˌdi-sə-ˈpā-shən 

noun