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
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
- clear out
- disband
- dispel
- disperse
- scatter
- squander
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The morning sun dissipated the fog. The fog should dissipate soon.
Recent Examples on the Web While marathon runners help dissipate heat by wearing shorts and singlets, in cricket the wearing of pads, gloves and a helmet restricts the ability to evaporate sweat in hot, humid conditions often lacking shade. New York Times, 4 Aug. 2022 Larger appendages like bills, ears, tails and even wings can help animals dissipate more heat into the surrounding air. Lina Zeldovich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2021 The chill is coming for all European countries, and the idea that countries are all in this together may dissipate when the going gets tough. WIRED, 28 Aug. 2022 Fortunately, the warming effect of the water vapor is expected to be small and temporary, and will dissipate as the extra vapor diminishes. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Aug. 2022 The most important change within the body is plasma volume expansion, giving the body more blood to help dissipate heat and supply exercising muscles. Susan Yeargin, The Conversation, 1 Aug. 2022 The most important change within the body is plasma volume expansion, giving the body more blood to help dissipate heat and supply exercising muscles. Susan Yeargin, Chron, 1 Aug. 2022 The hurricane center said little change in strength is expected, and Colin could dissipate by Monday. Leigh Morgan, al, 2 July 2022 That would give him an extra day off to allow the soreness in his right hip to dissipate. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 June 2022 See More
New York Times, 4 Aug. 2022 Larger appendages like bills, ears, tails and even wings can help animals dissipate more heat into the surrounding air. Lina Zeldovich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2021 The chill is coming for all European countries, and the idea that countries are all in this together may dissipate when the going gets tough. WIRED, 28 Aug. 2022 Fortunately, the warming effect of the water vapor is expected to be small and temporary, and will dissipate as the extra vapor diminishes. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Aug. 2022 The most important change within the body is plasma volume expansion, giving the body more blood to help dissipate heat and supply exercising muscles. Susan Yeargin, The Conversation, 1 Aug. 2022 The most important change within the body is plasma volume expansion, giving the body more blood to help dissipate heat and supply exercising muscles. Susan Yeargin, Chron, 1 Aug. 2022 The hurricane center said little change in strength is expected, and Colin could dissipate by Monday. Leigh Morgan, al, 2 July 2022 That would give him an extra day off to allow the soreness in his right hip to dissipate. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 June 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
dissipate
verb
dis·si·pate ˈdi-sə-ˌpāt
dissipated; dissipating
1
: to cause to break up and disappear: disperse
The wind dissipated the clouds.
2
: to scatter or waste foolishly : squander
He dissipated his saved allowance.
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
dissipating 1 of 3
adjective
as in wasting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- wasting
- squandering
- frittering
- wasteful
- profligate
- splurging
- spendthrift
- prodigal
- thriftless
- magnanimous
- unthrifty
- profuse
- benevolent
- kindly
- compassionate
- hospitable
- beneficent
- openhearted
- philanthropic
- humanitarian
- overgenerous
- extravagant
- philanthropical
- openhanded
- unstinting
- lavish
- selfless
- bountiful
- altruistic
- unselfish
- good-hearted
- greathearted
- bounteous
- free
- handsome
- charitable
- generous
- liberal
- munificent
- freehanded
- unsparing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sparing
- spare
- pinching
- close
- conserving
- saving
- cheap
- miserly
- tight
- parsimonious
- stingy
- mean
- uncharitable
- mingy
- ungenerous
- niggardly
- tightfisted
- careful
- penurious
- economical
- economizing
- pinchpenny
- closefisted
- chintzy
- stinting
- niggard
- chary
- grasping
- small
- frugal
- thrifty
- desirous
- penny-pinching
- selfish
- skimping
- avaricious
- acquisitive
- scrimping
- hoggish
- rapacious
- greedy
- sordid
- shabby
- covetous
- itchy
- avid
- mercenary
- coveting
dissipating
2 of 3noun
as in squandering
Synonyms & Similar Words
- squandering
- improvidence
- wastefulness
- spendthrift
- extravagance
- prodigality
- lavishness
- tribute
- gift
- openhandedness
- selflessness
- kindness
- generosity
- gratuity
- beneficence
- lagniappe
- bountifulness
- unselfishness
- munificence
- liberality
- kindliness
- openheartedness
- largesse
- bounty
- largess
- philanthropy
- generousness
- charity
- bigheartedness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- economy
- tightness
- saving
- selfishness
- pinching
- conserving
- closeness
- meanness
- managing
- cheapness
- economizing
- conservation
- stinginess
- miserliness
- thrift
- parsimony
- providence
- frugality
- scraping
- husbandry
- skimping
- husbanding
- ungenerosity
- penuriousness
- scrimping
- cutting back
dissipating
3 of 3verb
1
as in dispersing
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart dissipated the enemy forces with unremitting artillery fire Synonyms & Similar Words
- dispersing
- scattering
- dispelling
- squandering
- disbanding
- isolating
- diffusing
- segregating
- clearing out
- separating
- disseminating
- diverging
- spreading
- parting
- splitting (up)
- breaking up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- concentrating
- collecting
- assembling
- gathering
- clustering
- congregating
- agglutinating
- unifying
- uniting
- conglomerating
- ingathering
2
as in spending
to use up carelessly dissipated the family fortune in reckless business ventures Synonyms & Similar Words
- spending
- losing
- wasting
- squandering
- blowing
- misspending
- running through
- throwing away
- consuming
- lavishing
- depleting
- fiddling away
- disbursing
- exhausting
- playing ducks and drakes with
- expending
- impoverishing
- making ducks and drakes of
- frittering (away)
- splurging
- indulging
- trifling (away)
- overindulging
- overspending
- shooting
- laying out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conserving
- protecting
- preserving
- saving
- economizing
- skimping
- hoarding
- scrimping
- laying up
3
as in fading
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole the fog should dissipate once the sun comes out in full force Synonyms & Similar Words
- dispersing
- fading
- dissolving
- disappearing
- scattering
- evaporating
- disassembling
- melting
- dividing
- spilling
- separating
- diverging
- disbanding
- fleeing
- clearing
- forking
- breaking up
- evanescing
- branching (out)
- going (away)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gathering
- meeting
- congregating
- pay envelope
- pay envelopes
- pay for
- pay for itself
- pay good money
- pay grade
- pay heed to
- pay homage to
- pay in
- pay in full
- pay into
- pay no attention to
- pay obeisance
- pay off
- pay one's dues
- pay one's last respects
- pay one's own way
- pay one's respects
- pay one's way
- pay over the odds
- pay packet
- pay phone
- pay rate
- pay review
- pay school