dissipate

1 of 2

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

dissipater

2 of 2

noun

dis·​si·​pat·​er

ˈdisəˌpātə(r), 

-ātə-

plural -s

: one that dissipates

Synonyms of dissipate

Verb

• disperse

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

Verb

The morning sun dissipated the fog.

The fog should dissipate soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But these scenes are filmed with such playfulness that the shock value is completely dissipated. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 31 July 2026

When these four things align, effort stops dissipating and starts compounding. — Jeff Winters, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Solid starts have dissipated for the Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds, but each club possesses an interesting young core with some potential to rebound in 2027. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026

After hitting Menasha, the tornado moved over Lake Winnebago and dissipated over water. — Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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

Rhymes for dissipate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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