Synonyms

disintegrate

American

[dis-in-tuh-greyt] / dɪsˈɪn təˌgreɪt /

verb (used without object)

to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate.

The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.
Physics.
1. to decay.
2. (of a nucleus) to change into one or more different nuclei after being bombarded by high-energy particles, as alpha particles or gamma rays.

verb (used with object)

to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of.

Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.

disintegrate British

/ dɪsˈɪntɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

to break or be broken into fragments or constituent parts; shatter
to lose or cause to lose cohesion or unity
(intr) to lose judgment or control; deteriorate
physics
1. to induce or undergo nuclear fission, as by bombardment with fast particles
2. another word for decay

"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

Synonym Usage

See decay.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of disintegrate

First recorded in 1790–1800; dis- ¹ + integrate

Explanation

Soak your tooth in a cup of soda for long enough and it will disintegrate, or break apart from decay. The word disintegrate comes from a combination of the prefix dis- meaning "do the opposite of" and the Latin integrare meaning "to make whole." When something disintegrates, it does the opposite of become whole; it falls apart. Objects can either disintegrate over time — like a tooth soaking in a cup of soda, or instantaneously — like a building disintegrating into dust from an explosion.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing disintegrate

The Lightning Thief

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Fahrenheit 451

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Farewell to Manzanar

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

They disintegrate, scattering their molecules to the stratospheric winds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Language is malleable, but it has to retain some meaning, or the boundaries of our society will disintegrate more than they already have.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

The skins contain natural oils, and garments not kept in a temperature-controlled environment -- ideally off-season in cold vaults -- can dry out and disintegrate.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Today's outcome is a sorry end to a nightmarish year for Salford fans, who have watched their club disintegrate to this point over the past 12 months.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Some scientists speculated that if a pilot succeeded in pushing his plane through the sound barrier, either the plane or the pilot or both would disintegrate from the force of the shock waves.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023