dispel
Americanverb (used with object)
-
dispels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dispelled,
past participle, past
-
dispelling
present participle
-
to drive off in various directions; disperse; dissipate.
to dispel the dense fog.
- Antonyms:
- gather
-
to cause to vanish; alleviate.
to dispel her fears.
verb
Synonym Usage
See scatter.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dispelsimple
-
dispelssimple
-
have dispelledperfect
-
has dispelledperfect
-
am dispellingprogressive
-
are dispellingprogressive
-
is dispellingprogressive
-
have been dispellingperfect progressive
-
has been dispellingperfect progressive
Past
-
dispelledsimple
-
had dispelledperfect
-
was dispellingprogressive
-
were dispellingprogressive
-
had been dispellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dispel
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dispellere “to drive asunder,” equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + pellere “to drive”
Explanation
To dispel is to get rid of something that's bothering or threatening you, regardless of whether that's warts, worries, or wild dogs. The nifty thing about dispel is that you can use it when talking about emotional problems (such as worries and fears) as well as physical ones (such as wild dogs). Note, however, that when dispel is used in reference to physical foes, it often has the added meaning of scattering your opponents in all directions. So, while you can dispel a pack of wild dogs, you should just chase off or drive away a lone wolf. Good luck with that, by the way.
Vocabulary lists containing dispel
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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:
“For anyone who suspected Nithya had designs on this for a long time, you could just come to the ADU and that would dispel those notions,” Manheimer said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026
Studies have shown Community Notes can work to dispel some falsehoods, like vaccine misinformation, but researchers have long cautioned that it works best for topics where there is broad consensus.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
But it carries a price tag which will make a lot of people roll their eyes, and doesn't do much to dispel criticism that increasingly-costly VR headsets are pricing people out of the hobby.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
No amount of wealth can dispel retirement worries.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
To dispel Franz's suspicion, I hand him an assortment of photographs I’d taken on a trip to Alaska the previous summer, during which I’d retraced McCandless’s terminal journey on the Stampede Trail.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
In the interview, Balotelli dispels a few of the myths that had built up around him...
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Mr. Newman also dispels the belief that great ideas are entirely new.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
As with most holiday-related rituals, digging into the history of the yule log as a TV tradition dispels some of its mystical wonder, revealing its origin in desperate necessity.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
For trans people like me, having an accurate ID dispels the daily fear of being outed when asked to present identification.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025
Then I remember reading Horatio’s letter, and despair, like a cold wind, dispels the momentary peace.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
CoreWeave shares were up nearly 6% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the company dispelled financing concerns on its third-quarter earnings call.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
When asked whether Kessler’s return would spark extra motivation for the Jazz, Utah coach Will Hardy dispelled any suggestions of revenge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
Through her media prominence and prolific output as an author, with a dozen books to her name, Steinem dispelled the stereotype of the humorless feminist simply by living.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Any doubt about the identity of the unnamed malefactor was dispelled in the first footnote to the statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Regulatory clarity is meanwhile on the horizon, likely dispelling some investor fears, Deutsche’s Harishankar Ramamoorthy says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy ageing, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
The visual crispness of this L.A. premiere goes a long way toward dispelling doubts that the Pantages is the wrong venue for this ensemble drama.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
But, she said, the more time providers have to spend dispelling myths about Tylenol, the less time they have to discuss other important health issues.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
This had the immediate effect of dispelling the slight tension that had built in the room while Mr Harry Smith had been speaking.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
