Dissipate: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Dissipate verb. To spread out and gradually vanish, or to make something do so.
How to say it
DIS-ih-payt/ˈdɪsɪpeɪt/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (DIS). Forms: dissipated, dissipates.
Meanings
- To spread out and gradually vanish, or to make something do so.
- To waste money or energy foolishly.
Dissipate in a sentence
The fog dissipated by ten, revealing the whole valley.
A good heat sink dissipates the warmth from a laptop’s chip.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- disperse
- scatter
- dispel
- squander
Opposite:
- gather
- accumulate
Where dissipate comes from
From Latin dissipare, to scatter.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
A good heat sink _____ the warmth from a laptop’s chip.
- dissipate
- electrocute
- confound
Show the answer
dissipate: A good heat sink dissipates the warmth from a laptop’s chip.