demystify
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of demystify
Explanation
To demystify something is to make it much easier to understand or see. Your favorite math teacher might be the one who manages to demystify calculus for you. When you demystify things, you remove any mystery or secrecy connected with them. You might feel the need to demystify complicated or difficult ideas, subjects, or tasks. A car repair class can demystify the idea of working on your own engine, and traveling to France often helps language learners demystify the French language. To mystify is to bewilder or perplex, from the Latin root mysticus, "mystical, mystic, or secret."
Vocabulary lists containing demystify
"A Village After Dark" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 24–September 30, 2022
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Women in Space
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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.
Lee’s priorities include expanding civic engagement and language accessibility, with an aim to demystify legal proceedings for students and nonnative English speakers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
"It is important to demystify surgeries that celebrities have and educate patients," he says.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026
Beneath all the technique, he’s really just trying to demystify the feast.
From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025
On social media, he creates short videos that demystify neuroscience for his million-plus followers: “I explain the brain without all the mumbo-jumbo,” his TikTok profile promises.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025
I wanted to demystify the ANC for them, to peel away their prejudices.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
