dissolve

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To terminate a union of multiple members actively, as by disbanding.
2. (transitive) To destroy, make disappear.
3. (transitive) To liquify, melt into a fluid.
4. (intransitive) To be melted, changed into a fluid.
5. (physical) (transitive) To disintegrate chemically into a solution by immersion into a liquid or other material.
6. (physical) (intransitive) To be disintegrated by such immersion.
7. (transitive) To disperse, drive apart a group of persons.
8. (transitive) To break the continuity of; to disconnect; to loosen; to undo; to separate.
9. (transitive) To annul; to rescind; to discharge or release.
10. (intransitive) To shift from one shot to another by having the former fade out as the latter fades in.
11. (intransitive) To resolve itself as by dissolution.
12. (obsolete) To solve; to clear up; to resolve.
13. To relax by pleasure; to make powerless.
14. To separate a ligature into its component letters.

Noun

a form of film punctuation in which there is a gradual transition from one scene to the next

Synonyms

melt

break up

disperse

thaw

dismiss

dilute

liquefy

disband

vanish

resolve

disappear

terminate

fuse

melt away

fade away

unthaw

cancel

unfreeze

separate

break

liquate

solve

dethaw

decompose

mix

close

digest

scatter

conclude

take apart

dissipate

pass away

end

🔚

wear out

run

fade out

caramelise

caramelize

scramble

cease

demolish

dismantle

smelt

annul

clear off

destroy

disjoin

dismount

disorganize

dispel

disrupt

dissociate

dissolution

disunite

do away with

dwindle away

elect

evaporate

exhausted

fade

fan out

finish

fix

fleet

flummox

flux

fold

fox

🦊

fry

fuddle

fusion

go off

heterodyne

immingle

immix

intermix

interrupt

join

jumble

knock down

lessen

liquidate

liquidise

liquidize

loosen

lysis

macerate

make off

meld

melt down

mingle

mix in

mix up

motley

mouth

obfuscate

obscure

paddle

plump out

pop off

randomise

ravel

release

rescind

rile

rule

rumple

scarper

scram

set free

settle

smash

snarl

soften

solution

solvation

sophisticate

stir

stir up

stomach

stump

tangle

toss

turn out

tussle

unknit

upset

vamoose

walk off

walk out

wane

waste away

wear away

wrap up

atomise

be annihilated

break apart

cap off

flow away

liquify

phase down

phase out

play out

throw together

make sodden

cause to disintegrate in liquid

soak into

disincorporate

be spent

go to water

be dim

skip town

walk out of

choose

soften by soaking

ablate

abolish

abrogate

absorbed

absquatulate

addle

adulterate

agitate

atomize

bang up

banish

beetle

🪲

be used up

blast

blend

blow

break away

break down

bugger off

burn out

bust

clear

clutter

come apart

come out

commingle

commix

compound

concoct

confect

confuse

converge

decide

defrost

deliquesce

denounce

derange

die away

diffuse

diminish

disarrange

disarray

disassemble

discontinue

disintegrate

Translations

dissoudre

auflösen

disolver

lösen

oplossen

deshacer

fondre

ontbinden

résoudre

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɪˈzɒlv/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: dissolven

Cognate with Old French: dissoudre

In summary

Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere (“to loose, loosen”). By surface analysis, dis- + solve.