Synonyms

evaporate

American

[ih-vap-uh-reyt] / ɪˈvæp əˌreɪt /

verb (used without object)

to change from a liquid or solid state into vapor; pass off in vapor.

Synonyms:

vaporize
to give off moisture.
to disappear; vanish; fade.

His hopes evaporated.

Synonyms:

evanesce

verb (used with object)

to convert into a gaseous state or vapor; drive off or extract in the form of vapor.

The warm sun evaporated the dew.
to extract moisture or liquid from, as by heat, so as to make dry or to reduce to a denser state.

to evaporate fruit.
to cause to disappear or fade; dissipate.

His involvement in the scandal evaporated any hope he had for a political career.

evaporate British

/ ɪˈvæpəˌreɪt /

verb

to change or cause to change from a liquid or solid state to a vapour Compare boil 1
to lose or cause to lose liquid by vaporization, leaving a more concentrated residue
to disappear or cause to disappear; fade away or cause to fade away

all her doubts evaporated
(tr) to deposit (a film, metal, etc) by vaporization of a liquid or solid and the subsequent condensation of its vapour

"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

Usage

What does evaporate mean? Evaporate means to change from a liquid or solid state into vapor (like fog, mist, or steam). It can be used in a passive way, as in The water evaporated overnight, or an active way, as in The sun evaporates the water on the surface. The process of evaporating is called evaporation. Both terms are typically used in the context of water turning into water vapor. Water evaporates when it changes into steam through boiling, but in scientific terms, evaporation typically refers to the change of a liquid into a vapor at a temperature below the boiling point, such as when water evaporates from the surface of the ocean. In this way, evaporation is an important part of the water cycle. Evaporate can also be used in a figurative way meaning to disappear, as in The family’s wealth has evaporated, and now they have nothing. Example: The dew on the grass evaporates more quickly in the sunny parts of the yard.

Synonym Usage

Evaporate, dehydrate, dry mean to abstract moisture from. To evaporate is to remove moisture by means of heat, forced ventilation, or the like, and thus to produce condensation or shriveling: to evaporate milk, sliced apples. To dehydrate is to remove moisture from a vegetable, fruit, or body tissue: to dehydrate fruit; dehydrated from running. To dry may mean to wipe moisture off the surface or to withdraw moisture by natural means, such as exposure to air or heat: to dry a dish, clothes.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of evaporate

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English evaporaten, from Latin ēvapōrātus (past participle of ēvapōrāre “to disperse in vapor”); see e- ¹, vapor, -ate ¹

Explanation

To evaporate is to fade away or to literally turn into vapor. If you leave a glass of water out and the water slowly disappears, it's not being consumed by elves; it's evaporating. People often use the word evaporate metaphorically because it produces a strong image of something disappearing like vapor. When the economy goes through a rough patch, funding for projects like education and the arts tends to evaporate or disappear. Your feelings for a mate might evaporate after you spend too much time with him or her.

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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:

evaporate evaporates evaporated evaporating

The same is true when it comes to people: Since muggy air can hold less moisture, the sweat on a person’s body doesn’t evaporate as swiftly, which makes it harder to cool off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Clark held a five-shot lead going into the final day, but saw his advantage evaporate as McIlroy drew level with seven holes left to play.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Everyone who has walked into a grocery store hungry knows how quickly discipline can evaporate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

They move air across the skin, which can help sweat evaporate and make people feel cooler.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

After running the best campaign of his life, Richard Nixon watched his hard-earned lead evaporate.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

When rain falls in the summer months, high daytime temperatures can mean that the water quickly evaporates away from the soil.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

As sweat evaporates from the skin, it carries heat away.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

It then rains, but the rain evaporates before it reaches the ground.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Others are hoarding cash in preparation for a layoff they consider inevitable, or placing risky bets on the stock market to get rich before their job and salary evaporates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

Every drop of rain that falls on her evaporates instantly, sizzling into steam as soon as it touches her.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

U.S. stocks fell as the brief calm in the bond market evaporated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

He tested for Alfa Romeo, but then the team boss left and the opportunity evaporated.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

According to Judge Ferrero, Byrd and Roberts initially had a right to defend themselves, but that right evaporated once their attacker began retreating—while he still held his shotgun—and they moved toward him.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

By simply changing the number of bubbles in each droplet, the team found they could dramatically alter the pattern left behind as the liquid evaporated.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Suddenly Jeanne’s worries about herself and her playacted fit evaporated.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Salt production began in Ulcinj almost a century ago, when the natural lagoon was transformed into a network of shallow evaporating basins.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

"Not only have we been able to clear the view, but we can finally pin down what the clouds are made out of and how they're condensing and evaporating as they move around the planet."

From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026

Summer jobs for teens are evaporating, as rising inflation and higher fuel prices squeeze the small businesses and restaurants that typically hire them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026

“The argument for having lower rates is just evaporating right before our very eyes,” said Brian Bethune, an economist at Boston College, in an interview with MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 28, 2026

April is humid, with slush evaporating or rain drizzling.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023