Dissolving

dɪˈzɒlvɪŋ

verbBeginner📊CommonAction
3 meanings3 questions

Definitions

3 meanings
1

To cause a solid, liquid, or gas to mix into a liquid, resulting in a solution.

dɪˈzɒlv

verbneutralBeginner
Action

To cause something to mix with a liquid and become part of it.

The salt quickly dissolved in the water.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're making lemonade! When you mix the lemon powder with water, the powder dissolves and disappears, making the water taste like lemonade. Dissolving is when something disappears into a liquid and becomes part of it.

👶 For kids: When something goes away in a liquid, like sugar in your juice!

More Examples

2

The tablet dissolves in the glass of water.

3

Heat helps the crystals dissolve faster.

How It's Used

Chemistry

"The sugar dissolved in the hot water."

Cooking

"Add the salt and allow it to dissolve."

2

To bring to an end; to terminate; to break up or disperse.

dɪˈzɒlv

verbneutralmedium
Action

To end or dismiss something.

The company dissolved due to financial difficulties.

💡 Simply: Imagine a meeting ending. It's over, finished! Just like the meeting dissolves, which means it's closed and everyone can go home. Or, if a friendship falls apart, you could say the friendship dissolved.

👶 For kids: To make something stop, like when your teacher says "Class dismissed!"

More Examples

2

The committee voted to dissolve the organization.

3

The tension in the room slowly dissolved.

How It's Used

Politics

"The parliament was dissolved after the election."

Social

"Their relationship dissolved due to irreconcilable differences."

Tip:Like a relationship falling apart, a meeting can dissolve.
3

To fade or weaken; to break down or disintegrate gradually.

dɪˈzɒlv

verbneutralmedium
Action

To weaken or fade away.

The mist dissolved in the morning sun.

💡 Simply: Imagine a bad feeling you have, like being nervous. If you start to relax, the nervous feeling might dissolve, meaning it slowly disappears. It can also apply to memories or other intangible things.

👶 For kids: To slowly go away like a dream you had.

More Examples

2

Her anger slowly dissolved when she heard his explanation.

3

As the music played, his sadness began to dissolve.

How It's Used

Literature

"The memory began to dissolve over time."

Psychology

"His fears slowly dissolved as he gained confidence."

Tip:Like a dream slowly fading as you wake up.

Synonyms & Antonyms

From Middle English *dissolven*, from Old French *dissolvre* (12th century), from Latin *dissolvere* ('to loosen, dissolve'), from *dis-* ('apart') + *solvere* ('to loosen, untie').

The word 'dissolve' has been used since the 13th century, primarily in the context of separating or loosening things, both physically and metaphorically.

Memory tip

Think of the letters disappearing into water like sugar in tea.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to loosen, untie"

dissolve intodissolve in waterdissolve the partnershipdissolve the company

Common misspellings

dissolvinggdissolvong

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written