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to dissipate

to dissipate

48 6.8
To make something spread out and disappear, for example fog or tension
  • verb
  • /ˈdɪsɪpeɪt/
translation icon : disipar
  • Look, a toxin dissipates quickly in the air.
  • begin to dissipate
  • dissipate quickly
  • feelings dissipate

You know what fear tends to dissipate with daily action.

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Examples

  • You know what fear tends to dissipate with daily action.

  • The blurriness should dissipate in the next 24 hours, give or take.

  • We have to wait for the storm to dissipate before we can get inside.

  • I figure we lie low a couple days, we let the panic dissipate.

  • And after a week, it sort of dissipated and went away.

  • The data suggest that bacteria levels significantly dissipate between 25 and 50 yards from the discharge point.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Citizen confidence in the democratic system is likely to dissipate if the state neglects social and economic rights.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Stars will burn out, new stars will stop forming, and the cosmos will dissipate into cold, dark nothingness.

  • We've got scattered reports that the storm is dissipating over North America.

  • The sunlight began to dissipate as the clouds rolled in, leaving us in darkness.

Synonyms

to disappear
vsto dissipate
1.0

To stop being seen or to no longer be there

adds that the vanishing comes from being scattered rather than only ending
to fade
vsto dissipate
531 1.2

To slowly become less visible, bright, or loud

specifies disappearance by dispersal rather than by mere loss of strength
to go away
vsto dissipate
463 1.0

To stop being seen or felt

describes disappearance specifically by dispersing rather than only stopping
to vanish
vsto dissipate
421 3.0

Disappear suddenly and completely for no clear reason

sees disappearance as gradual spreading away rather than instant vanishing
to diminish
vsto dissipate
201 3.7

To become less in size, importance, or value

is about disappearance by dispersal rather than general reduction
to break up
vsto dissipate
152 3.4

Make a group of people leave or spread out

implies disappearance by dispersing but not only about organized endings
to scatter
vsto dissipate
110 2.7

To make people or animals move quickly in different directions

describes the same end but stresses spreading rather than quick flight
to disperse
vsto dissipate
104 4.4

To cause people and things, like a crowd or fog, to spread over a wide area

says disappearance happens by spreading things out rather than fading
to wear off
vsto dissipate
93 4.0

An effect or feeling that becomes less strong and then stops

frames disappearance as caused by dispersal rather than by wearing out
to spread out
vsto dissipate
89 2.8

To move apart and cover a wider area

focuses on disappearance through dispersal rather than mere widening of area
to melt
vsto dissipate
82 2.8

To become less strong little by little

adds the idea of being scattered away rather than merely melting out
to fade away
vsto dissipate
69 3.0

To become weaker and then disappear over time

means disappearance happens by things spreading out, not by slow weakening
to subside
vsto dissipate
47 4.8

Become less strong, as with pain, noise, or excitement

focuses on disappearance via spreading things out rather than easing down
to dissolve
vsto dissipate
43 3.9

To slowly disappear or become less clear

focuses on loss by dispersal rather than slow blending or fading
to evaporate
vsto dissipate
38 4.1

Gradually become less strong until a feeling is gone

involves dispersal as the cause rather than simple gradual loss
to dispel
vsto dissipate
29 4.6

To make a feeling or idea go away

means disappearance through physical spreading rather than removing belief
to recede
vsto dissipate
29 4.8

To move back or become less strong

portrays disappearance as scattering outward rather than retreating inward
to abate
vsto dissipate
23 6.8

To become less strong or severe and to make something do the same

means disappearance through dispersal rather than reduction in intensity
to die away
vsto dissipate
8 4.2

To become quieter and then stop

uses scattering or spreading as the cause rather than simple quieting
to whittle away
vsto dissipate
3 5.9

To make something smaller gradually by cutting or wearing it away

contrasts with spreading out, since disappearance comes from gradual cutting away
to dwindle away
vsto dissipate
1 4.6

Slowly get smaller in number or amount until nothing remains

involves vanishing by spreading out rather than by slow reduction
to ebb away
vsto dissipate
1 5.6

To move back slowly, like water leaving a shore

sees disappearance as outward scattering rather than a returning or ebbing action

Antonyms

174 3.4

To gather more and more of something over time

130 3.6

To bring people or things together in one place

How Dispersed

to vanish
421 3.0
to dissipate
48 6.8
to disperse
104 4.4
to scatter
187 2.8
to collect
499 1.1

Surface Forms

dissipate infinitive
dissipated past
dissipated past participle
dissipating present participle
dissipates third person singular

Morphology

dissipate = dissip + ate

Although the verb ends in the familiar suffix '-ate', the stem 'dissip-' is not a standalone English word and the apparent prefix 'dis-' does not function transparently here, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from component parts.

Etymology

Dissipate comes from the Latin parts dis- meaning 'apart' and a root meaning 'to scatter', so it originally meant 'scatter apart'. That's why we use dissipate when fog, a crowd, or a feeling spreads out and disappears.