dissolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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dissolves,
present (3rd person singular)
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dissolved,
past participle, past
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dissolving
present participle
-
to make a solution of, as by mixing with a liquid; pass into solution.
to dissolve salt in water.
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to melt; liquefy.
to dissolve sugar into syrup.
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to undo (a tie or bond); break up (a connection, union, etc.).
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to break up (an assembly or organization); dismiss; disperse.
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Government. to order the termination of (a parliament or other legislative body).
- Synonyms:
- adjourn
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to bring to an end; terminate; destroy.
to dissolve one's hopes.
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to separate into parts or elements; disintegrate.
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to destroy the binding power or influence of.
to dissolve a spell.
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Law. to deprive of force; abrogate; annul.
to dissolve a marriage.
verb (used without object)
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dissolves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dissolved,
past participle, past
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dissolving
present participle
-
to become dissolved, as in a solvent.
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to become melted or liquefied.
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to disintegrate, break up, or disperse.
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to lose force, intensity, or strength.
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to disappear gradually; fade away.
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to break down emotionally; lose one's composure.
The poor child dissolved in tears.
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Movies, Television. to fade out one shot or scene while simultaneously fading in the next, overlapping the two during the process.
noun
verb
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to go or cause to go into solution
salt dissolves in water
water dissolves sugar
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to become or cause to become liquid; melt
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to disintegrate or disperse
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to come or bring to an end
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to dismiss (a meeting, parliament, etc) or (of a meeting, etc) to be dismissed
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to collapse or cause to collapse emotionally
to dissolve into tears
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to lose or cause to lose distinctness or clarity
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(tr) to terminate legally, as a marriage, etc
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(intr) films television to fade out one scene and replace with another to make two scenes merge imperceptibly ( fast dissolve ) or slowly overlap ( slow dissolve ) over a period of about three or four seconds
noun
Synonym Usage
See melt 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dissolvabilitynoun
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dissolvablenessnoun
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dissolvernoun
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redissolveverb
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predissolveverb (used with object)
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dissolvableadjective
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nondissolvingadjective
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self-dissolvedadjective
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undissolvableadjective
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undissolvedadjective
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undissolvingadjective
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dissolvinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dissolvesimple
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dissolvessimple
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have dissolvedperfect
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has dissolvedperfect
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am dissolvingprogressive
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are dissolvingprogressive
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is dissolvingprogressive
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have been dissolvingperfect progressive
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has been dissolvingperfect progressive
Past
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dissolvedsimple
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had dissolvedperfect
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was dissolvingprogressive
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were dissolvingprogressive
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had been dissolvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dissolve
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dissolvere “to unloose”; equivalent to dis- 1 + solve
Explanation
To dissolve something is to break it up or weaken it, making it no longer recognizable. You could dissolve your book club or you could even dissolve a pill by dropping it into a glass of water. You can use the verb dissolve to describe things that are coming apart or diminishing. Dissolve goes back to the Latin root dissolvere, meaning "to loosen," and it came into English in the 14th century. Physical objects dissolve, as when bubbles dissolve in the tub or a cube of sugar will dissolve in hot tea, and intangible, or non-physical, things can fade away too: "Their friendship started to dissolve when he moved across country and they communicated less frequently."
Vocabulary lists containing dissolve
The Declaration of Independence
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"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Then, the Golden State Valkyries scored 13 consecutive points late in the fourth quarter to dissolve a double-digits Sparks lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Yu added that Beijing hopes, through the "geographical integration" of the two cities, "to gradually dissolve the borders".
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
It was a tactical maneuver meant to ensure no single tech titan could simply write a billion-dollar check to dissolve their private paradise, but it didn’t pass, these members said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
They may dissolve, move to different locations, and grow larger, causing performance to gradually decline.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
Leaves fall into the lake and dissolve into slime.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
The budget, as big as it is, is only one item on the executive's to-do list before the assembly dissolves in March ahead of the election.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Instead, the Royal Mint uses a process that dissolves the gold at room temperature.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
The opening “I Feel So Free” is the thesis statement, framing the club as a place that dissolves ego, lessens anxiety, and offers a portal to communal bliss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
“The Invite” skilfully dissolves a complaint that has plagued the romantic comedy genre for years.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
But if your kid dissolves in the shower one morning?
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has dissolved the transitional government, three months before the country's first election since its independence in 2011.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Diatoms, sea sponges, and certain plants use biological molecules and organic scaffolds to collect dissolved silicon and build complex silica structures under relatively mild conditions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
When President Andry Rajoelina dissolved his government but refused to resign, demonstrations intensified.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
As we pieced together the details of how organisms work, the problem was not so much solved as dissolved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
I would have dropped to my knees and dissolved into a puddle, except I didn’t want to completely lose my composure in front of him.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
A closer look reveals ingenious contrasts, apparent symmetries dissolving into distinctive details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Grok comes from xAI, which SpaceX merged with in February. xAI no longer exists, with SpaceX dissolving the entity recently.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Water can continue flowing through these crystals, dissolving them and making the systems relatively easy to clean.
From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026
The Backrooms takes this to the extreme - a physical symbol of memories "dissolving into themselves".
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
The paint was dissolving and War Chief seemed pretty happy and I was too.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
