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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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 5
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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:
Innuendo leaves a lingering stink that’s harder to dispel.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
That commitment to price stability went a long way to dispel fears about a politicization of the Fed, says James Knightley, chief international economist at ING.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Even the picturesque beaches and striking sunsets couldn’t dispel the tension among the members of Earth, Wind & Fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Knowing someone — or of someone — who is gay or lesbian has long tended to dispel falsehoods and quell fears that might exist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Before we can answer these questions, we must dispel some misconceptions about the origins of food production and then reformulate the question.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
In the interview, Balotelli dispels a few of the myths that had built up around him...
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
While one of the hallmarks of Chekhov’s work is its emotional authenticity, “The Disappear” never quite dispels a feeling of artificiality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
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
A newly published copy of his death certificate dispels much of the mystery: According to that document, Valenzuela’s underlying cause of death was possibly related to a liver disease and liver failure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024
Then I remember reading Horatio’s letter, and despair, like a cold wind, dispels the momentary peace.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Even here, though, historians have noted that the Soviet Union’s near-simultaneous invasion of Manchuria—which dispelled Japan’s illusion that Moscow might stay neutral in the war—also had an impact on the emperor’s calculations.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Twenty-three years after making his senior debut for Portugal, any thoughts Ronaldo-mania might be fading have been dispelled at this World Cup.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“The arrival of our squadron dispelled the danger.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
In a recent blog post, Yardeni characterizes the current worries as ”AI derangement,” a fear that eventually will be dispelled.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 1, 2026
Any momentum we gained is dispelled by the surface we land on.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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
It also involved dispelling rumours and explaining why traditional mourning practices - such as washing the bodies of the deceased - had to be banned.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he recently held a 2-½-hour meeting with Khamenei, in a public message that appeared aimed at dispelling questions about whether the new leader is indeed alive and running the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
A 2024 study by Penn State researchers found that approximately one in eight adults enjoy intensely sour flavors, dispelling claims that extreme tartness is only favored by children.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2025
Noise and motion gave an illusion of warmth, dispelling that utter, glacial silence, but I was still too cold to sleep that night.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
