evaporate

American  

[ih-vap-uh-reyt] / ɪˈvæp əˌreɪt /

verb (used without object)

evaporates, present (3rd person singular) evaporated, past participle, past evaporating present participle

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

   Synonyms:

   vaporize

2. to give off moisture.

3. to disappear; vanish; fade.

   His hopes evaporated.

   Synonyms:

   evanesce

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verb (used with object)

evaporates, present (3rd person singular) evaporated, past participle, past evaporating present participle

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

   The warm sun evaporated the dew.

2. to extract moisture or liquid from, as by heat, so as to make dry or to reduce to a denser state.

   to evaporate fruit.

3. 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

1. to change or cause to change from a liquid or solid state to a vapour Compare boil 1

2. to lose or cause to lose liquid by vaporization, leaving a more concentrated residue

3. to disappear or cause to disappear; fade away or cause to fade away

   all her doubts evaporated

4. (tr) to deposit (a film, metal, etc) by vaporization of a liquid or solid and the subsequent condensation of its vapour

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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

• evaporability
  noun
• evaporation
  noun
• evaporator
  noun
• preevaporate
  verb
• evaporable
  adjective
• evaporative
  adjective
• half-evaporated
  adjective
• half-evaporating
  adjective
• nonevaporating
  adjective
• unevaporated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• evaporating
  present
• evaporated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• evaporate
  simple
• evaporates
  simple
• have evaporated
  perfect
• has evaporated
  perfect
• am evaporating
  progressive
• are evaporating
  progressive
• is evaporating
  progressive
• have been evaporating
  perfect progressive
• has been evaporating
  perfect progressive

Past

• evaporated
  simple
• had evaporated
  perfect
• was evaporating
  progressive
• were evaporating
  progressive
• had been evaporating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will evaporate
  simple
• will have evaporated
  perfect
• will be evaporating
  progressive
• will have been evaporating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

evaporate evaporates evaporated evaporating

But in the crypto market, where memecoins can quickly evaporate in value and “rug pulls” are a constant threat, other investors are resigned to their losses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

They could cut back on orders later in the year once their worries about supply shortages evaporate.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

Black and Indigenous Americans, labor organizers, immigrants, queer people, political dissidents, abuse survivors, and countless others have discovered that rights celebrated in the abstract can evaporate when exercised against the wrong forces.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026

"Zidane did put me on the backside a couple of times because he's brilliant. But he's not going to evaporate, is he?"

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

The dampness left in the floor carpet would evaporate in the sun’s heat.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen

But that sense of control evaporates as soon as Layla's period nears - the peak of her menstrual cycle.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Heat domes also cause "dry thunderstorms" where rain evaporates before hitting the surface and lightning strikes are liable to trigger wildfires.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

When the black hole eventually evaporates, the information is not lost.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 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

Water absorbs the heat generated by fission and evaporates into steam.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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

While Platner—whose lead in the race had evaporated after a previous wave of stories about his relationship history—has not yet relented, he has suggested that he’s reassessing his run.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

The solidarity that many Latin American nations showed Cuba over the years has largely evaporated.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

His massive advantage had evaporated to a single stroke with Sam Burns in hot pursuit.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

It evaporated the moment he noticed the conspicuous lack of officers at his shoulders.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

"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

The nightmare scenario is playing out in Los Angeles, where a century-old entertainment economy is evaporating with no signs of a turnaround on the horizon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 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

Most no- or low-alcohol wines rely on a de-alcoholisation process which sees the wine heated in vacuum conditions, with the alcohol evaporating off at relatively low temperatures.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

I felt myself shrink under his hooded gaze, all my words evaporating in an instant.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• disappear
• disperse
• dissipate
• fade
• melt
• vanish
• vaporize
• weaken