dispel
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to drive off in various directions; disperse; dissipate.
to dispel the dense fog.
- Antonyms:
- gather
-
to cause to vanish; alleviate.
to dispel her fears.
verb
Synonym Usage
See scatter.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has dispelledperfect 3rd person singular
-
have dispelledperfect
-
are dispellingprogressive
-
am dispellingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is dispellingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
dispellingparticiple
-
have been dispellingperfect progressive
-
has been dispellingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
dispelssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had dispelledperfect
-
had been dispellingperfect progressive
-
was dispellingprogressive singular
-
dispelledparticiple
-
were dispellingprogressive plural
-
dispelledsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dispel
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dispellere “to drive asunder,” equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + pellere “to drive”
Explanation
To dispel is to get rid of something that's bothering or threatening you, regardless of whether that's warts, worries, or wild dogs. The nifty thing about dispel is that you can use it when talking about emotional problems (such as worries and fears) as well as physical ones (such as wild dogs). Note, however, that when dispel is used in reference to physical foes, it often has the added meaning of scattering your opponents in all directions. So, while you can dispel a pack of wild dogs, you should just chase off or drive away a lone wolf. Good luck with that, by the way.
Vocabulary lists containing dispel
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 5
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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.
Olise's triple helped to dispel doubts that crept in after France lost their previous warm-up game to Ivory Coast.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
The May 10 Substack essay that began circulating in the wake of her Instagram post did nothing to dispel that eventuality.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
Duchamp’s Readymades, serially reproduced, appear throughout MoMA’s retrospective—the first in the U.S. since 1973—which works strenuously to dispel any suspicion that he was a one-trick provocateur.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
I wanted to dispel the idea that we are incapable of having loving, meaningful relationships.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Desdemona said the prayers in Greek as we gathered around her bed, and Tessie tried as usual to dispel her doubts and truly believe.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
