dilute
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
adjective
verb
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to make or become less concentrated, esp by adding water or a thinner
-
to make or become weaker in force, effect, etc
he diluted his story
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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diluteenoun
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diluternoun
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dilutornoun
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overdiluteverb
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antidilutiveadjective
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dilutiveadjective
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undiluteadjective
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undilutedadjective
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undilutingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dilutesimple
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dilutessimple
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have dilutedperfect
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has dilutedperfect
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am dilutingprogressive
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are dilutingprogressive
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is dilutingprogressive
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have been dilutingperfect progressive
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has been dilutingperfect progressive
Past
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dilutedsimple
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had dilutedperfect
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was dilutingprogressive
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were dilutingprogressive
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had been dilutingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dilute
1545–55; < Latin dīlūtus washed away, dissolved (past participle of dīluere ), equivalent to dī- di- 2 + -lūtus, combining form of lautus ( lav ( ere ) to wash + -tus past participle suffix)
Explanation
When you dilute something, you make it thinner, weaker, or more watered down. If you put lots of ice cubes in your soda, the ice will melt and dilute the drink. Think about diluting as lessening the quality but increasing the quantity. Unless you're diluting a really strong drink to make it taste better or diluting heavy paint to get a lighter shade — then the quality actually improves. Quipped President John F. Kennedy, “Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary.”
Vocabulary lists containing dilute
Word Generation Science - Introductory Chemistry Concepts
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Margaret Chase Smith's "Declaration of Conscience" (1950)
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The Chocolate War
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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:
Honeybees gather pollen from many different flower species, which may dilute contaminants across their food supply.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
The former is bad news; selling more common shares of a stock in free fall would dilute existing shareholders and push the price even lower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
But for a fair number of others, the main objection is that Summerween cheapens Halloween — that to celebrate a summer facsimile will dilute the real thing.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
“When I tried to dilute it into the purest essence,” she says, “it felt like safety.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
“We have to overwhelm the nymphs with fresh water, give them more than they can use. If we can dilute this poisonous stuff—” “Can your horn do that?”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
In adapting the premise for TV, series creator Nick Antosca dilutes the movies’ naked menace by pouring reasonable doubt into both Max’s profile and that of the Bowdens, the married lawyers behind his downfall.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Investors also aren’t thrilled with the impact of the company’s capital raising—most recently $550 million External link from entities connected with the Saudi Public Investment Fund—which dilutes the value of existing shareholders’ stock.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
George Washington’s greatness is so firmly established that it dilutes our appreciation of the man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Led by Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall and featuring a quirky cast of characters, Peacock’s horror-comedy mystery series dilutes some the suspense but it’s still a good time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2026
In this way it dilutes itself, and may increase its weight threefold.
From An Introduction to Chemical Science by Williams, Rufus Phillips
In the human digestive system, sweeteners may be absorbed, chemically altered, diluted, or broken down before reaching particular microbes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
The valuation rises to £5.52 billion on a fully diluted basis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
That announcement sent shares of Solidion, which has a market value of about $140 million based on fully diluted shares outstanding, up 14.3% in premarket trading at $14.10 a share.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
By the time Emmet Sheehan took the mound, the smell had diluted, and the sunshine broke through the haze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
Lister recommended that doctors put a diluted carbolic acid solution on wounds after injury or surgery and also soak bandages and dressings in the chemical.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
The move solves an immediate headache by covering Strategy’s preferred dividend obligations, but it does so through the painful, if familiar, route of diluting common shareholders.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
At the same time, the rapid rise of third-party delivery apps has flooded the market with alternative options, diluting Pizza Hut's historic dominance.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
To pay this tax, companies would have to issue new shares to the government diluting current shareholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
“Disjointed colors, patterns, and logo-heavy designs are diluting brand equity,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
We could cure Daoud right now, or we could try to save more people—like my parents—by conserving every drop and diluting it....But in doing so, we might end up with nothing.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
