dissolve
mix completely into a liquid
To mix a solid or other substance with a liquid until you cannot see the solid anymore and it becomes part of the liquid.
to dissolve [something] in [liquid]
- Stir the sauce until all the sugar has dissolved.
- These tablets dissolve quickly in water, so they are easy to swallow.
- The salt will dissolve more slowly if the water is cold.
- Add the yeast and let it dissolve before mixing in the flour.
- The chemist watched the crystal dissolve as he added more solvent.
- Put the pill in water and wait for it to dissolve.
- The salt will dissolve if you mix it well.
- This drink mix dissolves in cold water.
- The sugar did not dissolve because the tea was not hot.
- She watched the tablet dissolve in the glass.
officially end a group or agreement
To formally end a group, company, or legal relationship like a marriage or contract.
to dissolve [an organization / a marriage / a contract]
- The shareholders voted to dissolve the company after years of losses.
- Their marriage was officially dissolved last year.
- The government announced it would dissolve Parliament and call new elections.
- They decided to dissolve the partnership and go their separate ways.
- The court can dissolve the contract if one party has clearly broken its terms.
- The two friends dissolved their business after three years.
- Their marriage was dissolved by the court.
- The club will dissolve at the end of the year.
- The company may dissolve the contract if you do not pay.
- The leader decided to dissolve the group.
gradually disappear or fade away
To slowly go away or become less visible or less strong until you cannot see or feel it anymore.
to dissolve into [something] / to dissolve over time
- As the sun rose higher, the morning mist slowly dissolved.
- Her initial excitement dissolved into disappointment.
- The sound of traffic dissolved into a low background hum.
- His confidence quickly dissolved when he saw the size of the audience.
- The border between fact and fantasy seems to dissolve in the final chapter.
- The fog dissolved when the sun came out.
- Her fear dissolved when she saw her friend.
- The smile on his face dissolved when he heard the news.
- The music grew quiet and then dissolved.
- The line between work and home life is starting to dissolve.
film: gradually change between shots
In movies or video, to move from one picture to another by slowly making the first picture go away while the new one appears.
to dissolve from [scene] to [scene]
- The director chose to dissolve from the childhood scene to the present day.
- The image of the city slowly dissolves into a shot of the countryside.
- The documentary often dissolves to black between interviews.
- The movie scene dissolves into a picture of the sea.
- After the title, the screen dissolves to black.
- The shot dissolves from the young man to the same man many years later.
suddenly start crying or laughing
To suddenly start crying or laughing a lot, usually very strongly and without control.
to dissolve into [tears / laughter / giggles]
- When she saw the surprise party, she dissolved into tears.
- The children dissolved into laughter at the clown's silly tricks.
- He tried to stay calm but finally dissolved into helpless giggles.
- At the end of the story, the whole audience dissolved into laughter.
- Hearing the bad news, she almost dissolved into tears on the phone.
- She dissolved into tears when she heard the news.
- The class dissolved into laughter when the teacher slipped.
- The boy dissolved into giggles when he saw the puppy.
- After the joke, we all dissolved into laughter.
- He dissolved into tears in front of his friends.
film: gradual transition between shots
In movies or video, a change from one picture to another where the first picture slowly goes away while the new picture slowly appears.
to use a dissolve between [two shots]
- The scene change is marked by a slow dissolve from the city to the countryside.
- The editor suggested using a dissolve instead of a simple cut.
- There is a beautiful dissolve between the two time periods in the film.
- The film uses a dissolve between the two scenes.
- We added a dissolve from the title to the first shot.
- The director likes a slow dissolve at the end of the movie.
- Base: dissolve
- 3rd Person Singular: dissolves
- Present Participle: dissolving
- Past: dissolved
dissolve away
1gradually disappear by dissolving
To slowly disappear because a substance is dissolved, often over a long time.
- Over thousands of years, the limestone has dissolved away.
- The protective coating will slowly dissolve away in water.
- The sugar cube dissolved away in just a few minutes.
dissolve in laughter
1start laughing strongly
To start laughing very strongly so that you stop doing what you were doing.
- The audience dissolved in laughter at his first joke.
- They dissolved in laughter when the dog ran across the stage.
- The group dissolved in laughter as the video played.
dissolve in tears
1start crying strongly
To start crying very strongly so that you stop doing what you were doing.
- She dissolved in tears when she heard the bad news.
- The boy dissolved in tears after the argument.
- At the end of the film, half the audience dissolved in tears.
dissolve into laughter
1suddenly start laughing a lot
To suddenly start laughing a lot and not be able to stop easily.
- The whole class dissolved into laughter when the lights went out.
- He tried to stay serious but dissolved into laughter halfway through his speech.
- At the end of the story, the children dissolved into laughter.
dissolve into tears
1suddenly start crying a lot
To suddenly start crying a lot and not be able to stop easily.
- When she saw the broken gift, she dissolved into tears.
- He dissolved into tears as he told the story.
- The girl dissolved into tears after losing her favorite toy.
dissolve to black
1film: fade image into black screen
In movies or video, to change the picture so it slowly becomes a black screen.
- The final shot dissolves to black as the music ends.
- We decided to dissolve to black between the two scenes.
- The editor chose to dissolve to black instead of cutting to the credits.