dispel
Americanverb (used with object)
-
dispels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dispelled,
past participle, past
-
dispelling
present participle
-
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dispelsimple
-
dispelssimple
-
have dispelledperfect
-
has dispelledperfect
-
am dispellingprogressive
-
are dispellingprogressive
-
is dispellingprogressive
-
have been dispellingperfect progressive
-
has been dispellingperfect progressive
Past
-
dispelledsimple
-
had dispelledperfect
-
was dispellingprogressive
-
were dispellingprogressive
-
had been dispellingperfect progressive
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
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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.
See Examples For:
Innuendo leaves a lingering stink that’s harder to dispel.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mr. Hargreaves’s account of the North African fighting does much to dispel the myths that surround Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the German tank commander and so-called Desert Fox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office tried to dispel misinformation about California’s ballot tabulation process, the statement also said, “For the record: we wish the votes were counted faster, too.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
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
Overhead, fluorescent lights attempt to dispel the season’s dimness.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
The report also dispels a common view that guns are mainly owned by rural residents.
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025
Jarvis is moral and cognitively aware and dispels our anxieties that the technology could replace or even harm humans, said Chambliss, whose work explores the relationship between comics and culture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
In their first video call, which Farsi, then in Cairo, recorded with a separate smartphone, Hassona’s beaming face immediately dispels any notion that all Palestinians must exist in a defeated state amid relentless bombing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
For trans people like me, having an accurate ID dispels the daily fear of being outed when asked to present identification.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025
This dispels her first embarrassment, and the two begin to talk.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
But we know that’s just an illusion, one that is dispelled by looking inside the machine.
From Slate ● May 25, 2026
The ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host dispelled rumors of a possible departure, staying with the network amid a broader overhaul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
In a recent blog post, Yardeni characterizes the current worries as ”AI derangement,” a fear that eventually will be dispelled.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 1, 2026
Escalona's presence at Rodriguez's first cabinet meeting last week dispelled rumors that he had died in the strike.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
Any momentum we gained is dispelled by the surface we land on.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy ageing, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he recently held a 2-½-hour meeting with Khamenei, in a public message that appeared aimed at dispelling questions about whether the new leader is indeed alive and running the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
The visual crispness of this L.A. premiere goes a long way toward dispelling doubts that the Pantages is the wrong venue for this ensemble drama.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
A 2024 study by Penn State researchers found that approximately one in eight adults enjoy intensely sour flavors, dispelling claims that extreme tartness is only favored by children.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2025
It seemed to burn feeling back into him, dispelling the numbness and sense of unreality, firing him with something that was like courage.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
