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
Related Words
See scatter.
Other Word Forms
- dispellable adjective
- dispeller noun
- undispellable adjective
- undispelled adjective
Etymology
Origin of dispel
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dispellere “to drive asunder,” equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + pellere “to drive”
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.
Some is gossip she’s obliged to dispel, including one about the secret baby she was alleged to have had with DeBarge during their very short, doomed marriage.
From Salon
On Tuesday, the company will try to dispel worries at the special investor meeting.
From Barron's
He taught that “a little light dispels a lot of darkness.”
Mahan has sought to dispel those concerns, arguing that he believes AI and social media platforms should be regulated.
From Los Angeles Times
The event, attended by more than 300 people, aimed to dispel myths and online misinformation as well as connect women with experts in pregnancy, fertility, menopause, endometriosis and neurodiversity.
From BBC
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.
