dispel

[ dih-spel ]
See synonyms for: dispeldispelleddispellingdispels on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),dis·pelled, dis·pel·ling.
  1. to drive off in various directions; disperse; dissipate: to dispel the dense fog.

  2. to cause to vanish; alleviate: to dispel her fears.

Origin of dispel

1
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dispellere “to drive asunder,” equivalent to dis-dis-1 + pellere “to drive”

synonym study For dispel

1, 2. See scatter.

Opposites for dispel

Other words from dispel

  • dis·pel·la·ble, adjective
  • dis·pel·ler, noun
  • un·dis·pel·la·ble, adjective
  • un·dis·pelled, adjective

Words Nearby dispel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dispel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dispel

dispel

/ (dɪˈspɛl) /


verb-pels, -pelling or -pelled
  1. (tr) to disperse or drive away

Origin of dispel

1
C17: from Latin dispellere, from dis- 1 + pellere to drive

Derived forms of dispel

  • dispeller, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012