dispel

verb

dis·​pel di-ˈspel 

dispelled; dispelling

transitive verb

: to drive away or cause to vanish by or as if by scattering : dissipate

dispel a rumor

Synonyms

• clear out
• disband
• disperse
• dissipate
• scatter
• squander

Choose the Right Synonym for dispel

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 dispel in a Sentence

This report should dispel any doubts you have about the plan.

She made an official statement to dispel any rumors about her retirement.

The experience dispelled some of our fears about the process.

Recent Examples on the Web

The second important thing to say about the speculation around Doctor Who is that the drama’s key figures — including Gatwa himself — have done little to dispel the sense of unease. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 23 May 2025

The Museums Special Section Black Cowboys Ride Again: Museums have taken up the cause of dispelling the perception of a whites-only West. —Elly Fishman, New York Times, 22 May 2025

No classic Hollywood film tells the story of plantation life from the point of view of the enslaved—that would have dispelled the myth entirely. —Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Time, 21 May 2025

The result is an idiosyncratic first-person account that both dispels and magnifies the Bloomsbury phenomenon. —Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dispellere, from dis- + pellere to drive, beat — more at felt

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dispel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

dispel

verb

dis·​pel dis-ˈpel 

dispelled; dispelling

: to drive away by or as if by scattering : dissipate