dissipate

verb

dis·​si·​pate ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt How to pronounce dissipate (audio)
dissipated; dissipating
Synonyms of dissipatenext

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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
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 But that notion quickly dissipated after Sundance 2021 when streaming services stopped having to build their slates and corporations consolidated resulting in less buyers. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024 Once backup arrived, the mob of drivers and bystanders began to dissipate. —Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 6 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dissipate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dissipate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near dissipate

dissipable

dissipate

dissipated

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Dissipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissipate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

dissipate

verb
dis·​si·​pate ˈdis-ə-ˌpāt How to pronounce dissipate (audio)
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 How to pronounce dissipate (audio)
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 How to pronounce dissipate (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dissipate

Nglish: Translation of dissipate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dissipate for Arabic Speakers

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