dissolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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dissolves,
present (3rd person singular)
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dissolved,
past participle, past
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dissolving
present participle
-
to make a solution of, as by mixing with a liquid; pass into solution.
to dissolve salt in water.
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to melt; liquefy.
to dissolve sugar into syrup.
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to undo (a tie or bond); break up (a connection, union, etc.).
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to break up (an assembly or organization); dismiss; disperse.
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Government. to order the termination of (a parliament or other legislative body).
- Synonyms:
- adjourn
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to bring to an end; terminate; destroy.
to dissolve one's hopes.
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to separate into parts or elements; disintegrate.
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to destroy the binding power or influence of.
to dissolve a spell.
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Law. to deprive of force; abrogate; annul.
to dissolve a marriage.
verb (used without object)
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dissolves,
present (3rd person singular)
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dissolved,
past participle, past
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dissolving
present participle
-
to become dissolved, as in a solvent.
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to become melted or liquefied.
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to disintegrate, break up, or disperse.
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to lose force, intensity, or strength.
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to disappear gradually; fade away.
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to break down emotionally; lose one's composure.
The poor child dissolved in tears.
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Movies, Television. to fade out one shot or scene while simultaneously fading in the next, overlapping the two during the process.
noun
verb
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to go or cause to go into solution
salt dissolves in water
water dissolves sugar
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to become or cause to become liquid; melt
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to disintegrate or disperse
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to come or bring to an end
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to dismiss (a meeting, parliament, etc) or (of a meeting, etc) to be dismissed
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to collapse or cause to collapse emotionally
to dissolve into tears
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to lose or cause to lose distinctness or clarity
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(tr) to terminate legally, as a marriage, etc
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(intr) films television to fade out one scene and replace with another to make two scenes merge imperceptibly ( fast dissolve ) or slowly overlap ( slow dissolve ) over a period of about three or four seconds
noun
Synonym Usage
See melt 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dissolvabilitynoun
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dissolvablenessnoun
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dissolvernoun
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redissolveverb
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predissolveverb (used with object)
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dissolvableadjective
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nondissolvingadjective
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self-dissolvedadjective
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undissolvableadjective
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undissolvedadjective
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undissolvingadjective
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dissolvinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dissolvesimple
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dissolvessimple
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have dissolvedperfect
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has dissolvedperfect
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am dissolvingprogressive
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are dissolvingprogressive
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is dissolvingprogressive
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have been dissolvingperfect progressive
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has been dissolvingperfect progressive
Past
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dissolvedsimple
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had dissolvedperfect
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was dissolvingprogressive
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were dissolvingprogressive
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had been dissolvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dissolve
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dissolvere “to unloose”; equivalent to dis- 1 + solve
Explanation
To dissolve something is to break it up or weaken it, making it no longer recognizable. You could dissolve your book club or you could even dissolve a pill by dropping it into a glass of water. You can use the verb dissolve to describe things that are coming apart or diminishing. Dissolve goes back to the Latin root dissolvere, meaning "to loosen," and it came into English in the 14th century. Physical objects dissolve, as when bubbles dissolve in the tub or a cube of sugar will dissolve in hot tea, and intangible, or non-physical, things can fade away too: "Their friendship started to dissolve when he moved across country and they communicated less frequently."
Vocabulary lists containing dissolve
The Declaration of Independence
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"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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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:
However, mining and other environmental processes can change uranium into forms that dissolve in water.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
Chávez had been imprisoned in June 2023 over her alleged role in Castillo's plan to dissolve congress.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
He and Chavez, his prime minister at the time, faced charges of plotting a coup over the bid to dissolve Congress.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Borders don’t dissolve because a stadium sang together, and no treaty was signed in Foxborough, Mass., that night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
They wouldn’t dissolve well in hot drinks or soup, Maheu explained.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Instead, the Royal Mint uses a process that dissolves the gold at room temperature.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
“The Invite” skilfully dissolves a complaint that has plagued the romantic comedy genre for years.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
When a pod dissolves in the wash cycle, the chemicals mix and activate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
The emotional intensity of the moment dissolves, the wounds heal, and time marches onward.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
The stiffness in Mazen’s face dissolves, and the light of an old memory flares in his eyes.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
"Our study has revealed for the first time that bacteria supplied with glycerol as a carbon source can convert toxic uranium dissolved in water into a stable chemical compound," says Krawczyk-Bärsch.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
A spokesperson explained that high temperatures created the conditions that "significantly" reduced dissolved oxygen levels in the water.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
The request is a common theme among the Jolie-Pitt siblings since the couple’s marriage was formally dissolved in 2019 and divorce became finalized in 2024 after a long legal battle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, was dissolved Friday, paving the way for a vote in late October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
The little wireless operator dissolved in a fit of gleeful laugher, but still steadfastly held up the umbrella over Maddie’s head.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Paintings of seated figures almost dissolving into disembodied but anatomically correct drawing, made between about 1941 and 1946, enlarge this story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The Backrooms takes this to the extreme - a physical symbol of memories "dissolving into themselves".
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Elon Musk is dissolving xAI, integrating its AI operations into SpaceX ahead of an IPO expected to value the company at up to $2 trillion.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
They then pulsed the electron beam 4,000 times over two hours, repeatedly dissolving the defects as they formed.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026
I know there’s nothing I can do about the dissolving tablet, but maybe, with practice, I can squirrel away both the capsule and the green pill.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
