evaporate

verb

evap·​o·​rate i-ˈva-p(ə-)ˌrāt 

evaporated; evaporating

transitive verb

1

a

: to convert into vapor

also : to dissipate or draw off in vapor or fumes

b

: to deposit (a substance, such as a metal) in the form of a film by sublimation

2

a

: to expel moisture from

b

: expel

evaporate electrons from a hot wire

intransitive verb

1

a

: to pass off in vapor or in minute particles

b(1)

: to pass off or away : disappear

her ardor evaporated

(2)

: to diminish quickly

2

: to give forth vapor

evaporative

i-ˈva-pə-ˌrā-tiv 

adjective

evaporator

i-ˈva-pə-ˌrā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• disappear
• vanish
• fade
• melt

Examples of evaporate in a Sentence

Let the liquid start to evaporate.

The heat evaporated the water.

The opportunity evaporated before he could act on it.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cover with a tight-fitting lid; cook over medium, swirling skillet every couple of minutes, until water is evaporated and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025

Andy Jones What the data says Burnley’s promotion was built on a strong defensive foundation, but that stability has quickly evaporated against Premier League opposition. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025

After many false starts and setbacks, both technical and financial, the final result was a pen with a steel ball in a socket and an ink barrel filled with an ink paste that didn't evaporate like conventional ink. —New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025

Poor defensive zone coverage, slapdash breakouts, all-thumbs execution on the puck, and an increasingly vacant effort led to the B’s seventh loss in eighth games and evaporated any good feeling earned by their win over the Avs. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin evaporatus, past participle of evaporare, from e- + vapor steam, vapor

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for evaporate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

evaporate

verb

evap·​o·​rate i-ˈvap-ə-ˌrāt 

evaporated; evaporating

1

: to pass off or cause to pass off into vapor from a liquid state

2

: to pass off or away : disappear

felt the excitement evaporate

3

: to remove some of the water from (as by heating)

evaporator

-ˌrāt-ər 

noun