dissipate

verb

dis·si·pate | \ ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt

dissipated; dissipating

Definition of dissipate

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from dissipate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about dissipate

Keep scrolling for more

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

Juul devices are easy to conceal and use without detection, since the vapor dissipates quickly and smells like candy or mints. — Jill Tucker, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area parents, teachers mobilize against teen vaping: ‘We have quite a fight ahead of us’," 7 Sep. 2019 Seeing full nutria traps and getting paid for the pelts used to be Choate's favorite part of hunting, until the fur market dissipated. — Victoria Dodge, USA TODAY, "A rodent-like pest destroying the Louisiana coast finds new enemy in dog treat business," 7 Sep. 2019 You may be mystified by some conversations or feel that your meaning is misunderstood, but this brief fog dissipates quickly. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Sept. 6, 2019: Happy birthday Idris Elba; stick to the facts Aquarius," 6 Sep. 2019 Fernand had winds of 35 mph and was expected to weaken and dissipate by tonight or Thursday, the hurricane Center said. — Leigh Morgan, al, "Tropical storm in the Gulf: Fernand makes landfall in Mexico and is downgraded," 4 Sep. 2019 Whisk quickly to help the bubbles dissipate and to prevent the sugar from clumping and seizing. — Los Angeles Times, "This piloncillo pudding has the brown sugar sweetness of butterscotch," 3 Sep. 2019 But then, Thore's mood quickly dissipates after a man fat-shames her. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Whitney Way Thore Is Changing Reality TV for Fat Women," 29 Aug. 2019 High pressure over New York will bring sunshine Friday morning then some fair weather clouds will develop midday and into the afternoon before dissipating by sunset. — courant.com, "Turning more humid through the weekend," 25 July 2019 By evening, spending time listening to the Indigenous leaders who’d come from around the world to engage in true cultural exchange would dissipate my anger—their message and their hope for cultural appreciation was an authentic one. — Angie Jaime, Teen Vogue, "The Aniwa Gathering Connected Me to My Indigenous Ancestors," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dissipate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about dissipate

Dictionary Entries near dissipate

dissipation of energy

Statistics for dissipate

Last Updated

17 Sep 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for dissipate

The first known use of dissipate was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for dissipate

dissipate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of dissipate

formal

: to cause (something) to spread out and disappear

: to separate into parts and disappear or go away

: to use all or a lot of (something, such as money or time) in a foolish way

See the full definition for dissipate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dissipate

verb

dis·si·pate | \ ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt

dissipated; dissipating

Kids Definition of dissipate

1 : to cause to break up and disappear: disperse The wind dissipated the clouds.

2 : to scatter or waste foolishly : squander He dissipated his saved allowance.

dissipate

transitive verb

dis·si·pate | \ ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt

dissipated; dissipating

Legal Definition of dissipate

: 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