dissipate
verb
dis·si·pate
ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt 
dissipated; dissipating
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
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
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
Examples of dissipate in a Sentence
The morning sun dissipated the fog.
The fog should dissipate soon.
Recent Examples on the Web
But a perennial desire for the macabre doesn’t just dissipate under the umbrella of good intentions.
—Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
However, that drama quickly dissipated with the unexpected withdrawal of the No. 27 truck from Reaume Brothers Racing, piloted by team owner Josh Reaume.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
But that initial wave of dismissal eventually dissipated, and an internal debate emerged over whether Iran should deliver a harsh response to prevent Israeli strikes from becoming normalized against a regime focused on its own survival.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
What is dissipating your ability to enjoy the effort?
—USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dissipate 
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Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
However, that drama quickly dissipated with the unexpected withdrawal of the No. 27 truck from Reaume Brothers Racing, piloted by team owner Josh Reaume.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
But that initial wave of dismissal eventually dissipated, and an internal debate emerged over whether Iran should deliver a harsh response to prevent Israeli strikes from becoming normalized against a regime focused on its own survival.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
What is dissipating your ability to enjoy the effort?
—USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dissipate
Dictionary Entries Near dissipate
Cite this Entry
“Dissipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissipate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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