dissolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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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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.
Diagnosis can then be matched to newly available immunotherapies that dissolve amyloid plaques in the brain and slow the overall course by approximately 30%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
These specially designed spherical particles are calibrated by size and dissolve within hours after being delivered.
From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026
From November, after two years in office, Faye will also be authorised to dissolve the National Assembly in an attempt to secure a new majority.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
What the market is waiting for is not simply a deal — it is a durable deal, the kind that survives an election cycle and does not dissolve the day after it is published.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
Grover told me he could dissolve the empathy link between us, now that we were face to face, but I told him I’d just assume keep it if that was okay with him.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
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.
