Synonyms

disperse

American

[dih-spurs] / dɪˈspɜrs /

verb (used with object)

dispersed, dispersing

to drive or send off in various directions; scatter.

to disperse a crowd.

Antonyms:

collect, combine
to spread widely; disseminate.

to disperse knowledge.

Synonyms:

broadcast, sow
to dispel; cause to vanish.

The wind dispersed the fog.
Physical Chemistry. to cause (particles) to separate uniformly throughout a solid, liquid, or gas.
Optics. to subject (light) to dispersion.

verb (used without object)

dispersed, dispersing

to separate and move apart in different directions without order or regularity; become scattered.

The crowd dispersed.
to be dispelled; be scattered out of sight; vanish.

The smoke dispersed into the sky.

Synonyms:

evanesce, disappear

adjective

Physical Chemistry. noting the dispersed particles in a dispersion.

disperse British

/ dɪˈspɜːsɪdlɪ, dɪˈspɜːs /

verb

to scatter; distribute over a wide area
to dissipate or cause to dissipate
to leave or cause to leave a gathering, often in a random manner
to separate or be separated by dispersion
(tr) to diffuse or spread (news, information, etc)
to separate (particles) throughout a solid, liquid, or gas, as in the formation of a suspension or colloid

"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

adjective

of or consisting of the particles in a colloid or suspension

disperse phase

"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

Related Words

See scatter.

Other Word Forms

dispersedly adverb
disperser noun
dispersibility noun
dispersible adjective
predisperse verb (used with object)
redisperse verb
undispersed adjective
undispersing adjective
well-dispersed adjective

Etymology

Origin of disperse

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dispersen, disparsen (from Middle French disperser, ) from Latin dispersus (past participle of dispergere ), equivalent to di- di- ² + -sper(g)- “scatter” (stem of -spergere, combining form of spargere “to scatter, strew”) + -sus past participle suffix

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.

If a serpent’s prey happens to have seeds in their cheeks, “they will disperse those seeds, acting as nature’s gardeners, pooping out the seeds in a little pile of fertilizer,” Taylor said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who visited troops in the Middle East over the weekend, said the U.S. military took steps to fortify and disperse forces at its bases in the region before strikes began.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

What are some fair ways for a later-in-life marriage to disperse wealth or plan for end of life?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Nevertheless, as soon as Nerys's colleagues and customers see her working, operating machinery and loading and unloading materials, the looks of judgement disperse.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

They kept us underground for more than half an hour, hoping people would disperse.

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