# dispel

/dɪˈspɛɫ/ (US) · /dɪspˈɛl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dispel
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to remove doubts or fears

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to make a doubt, fear, or false idea go away by proving it is wrong.

For teachers: to eliminate a belief, rumour, or emotion by demonstrating its lack of validity or necessity.

- The manager's speech helped to dispel the workers' fears about losing their jobs.
- The recent publication of the internal audit served to dispel any lingering doubts regarding the company's financial stability.

Usage: This verb is transitive and almost always takes an abstract noun like 'rumour', 'myth', 'doubt', or 'fear' as its object.

### 2. to scatter or drive away

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to make something like mist, smoke, or a crowd scatter and disappear.

For teachers: to cause a physical mass or collection to vanish by scattering in different directions.

- The morning sun soon dispelled the heavy mist that covered the valley.
- The sudden gust of wind dispelled the thick clouds of smoke that had gathered above the industrial site.

Usage: Often used in descriptions of weather or physical phenomena to describe them breaking up and vanishing.

## Examples

- The manager's speech helped to dispel our fears.
- The company released a detailed report to dispel rumours about a potential bankruptcy and reassure its investors.
- The scientist presented rigorous data from the latest clinical trials to dispel any lingering doubts regarding the efficacy of the new treatment protocol.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.