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

• 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

The morning sun dissipated the fog.

The fog should dissipate soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

The system’s center is forecast to remain offshore of the Baja California Sur coast, dissipating by Saturday, according to the agency. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

That gives the storm enough time to move away or dissipate. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025

On the forecast track, Priscilla is expected to remain offshore of the coast of Baja California Sur before dissipating. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025

Priscilla dissipated Friday to the west of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. —Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for dissipate

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

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