evaporate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to change from a liquid into a gas or steam, usually because of heat.
to undergo a phase transition from a liquid state to a gaseous state, typically due to an increase in temperature or a decrease in pressure.
Simple“The small puddles on the pavement began to evaporate as soon as the sun came out.”
In context“In the arid climate of the high desert, moisture tends to evaporate almost instantly, leaving the soil parched and cracked.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to vanish or go away completely, especially in a way that you cannot stop.
to disappear or vanish, especially in a sudden or complete manner; to cease to exist or have an effect.
Simple“His confidence started to evaporate when he saw how difficult the exam questions were.”
In context“The initial enthusiasm for the new policy began to evaporate as the practical difficulties of implementation became apparent to the staff.”
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
to remove the water from something, usually to leave a solid or a thicker liquid behind.
to expel moisture from a substance, typically by applying heat, in order to leave the solid or concentrated portion.
Simple“The chef decided to evaporate the sauce until it was thick enough to coat a spoon.”
In context“Industrial processes often evaporate the solvent from a solution to recover the solute in its pure, crystalline form.”
UsageOften used in the context of food processing or chemical engineering.
Synonymsdehydrateconcentrate
First attested in 1545, borrowed from Latin ēvapōrātus, the perfect passive participle of ēvapōrō (“to evaporate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also Middle English evaporaten (“to draw off humors or "spirits" as "vapor"”) and evaporen (“to draw off bodily fluid, an excess or toxic matter by converting it into "vapor"; to treat (a part of the body) by drawing off toxic matter converted into "vapor"”). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.