dissolve

dissolve — verb

1. When a solid substance is placed in a liquid and combines with it, the particles

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

When a solid substance is placed in a liquid and combines with it, the particles spread evenly through the liquid until they can no longer be seen separately; or to cause a solid to combine with a liquid in this way by stirring or heating.

例句

Minho stirred the sugar cube into his hot coffee until it dissolved completely.

collocation: dissolve completely

The pharmacist showed the trainee how aspirin dissolves more quickly in warm water.

intransitive: dissolve in + liquid

同義詞
  • liquefy

    more technical; means 'turn into liquid' by any method, not necessarily in a solvent

  • melt

    uses heat, not a liquid solvent; ice melts, sugar dissolves

  • break down

    more general; can mean decompose or separate into parts, not necessarily in liquid

反義詞

文法句型

dissolve + object + in + liquid

dissolve in + liquid

dissolve + adverb

用法筆記

Can be transitive (she dissolved the tablet) or intransitive (the tablet dissolved). When intransitive, the subject is the solid and the liquid appears in an 'in' phrase.

常見錯誤

❌I dissolved the water into the salt.
✅I dissolved the salt in the water.
💡The solid dissolves; the liquid is the medium, not the object.
❌The oil dissolved in the vinegar.
✅The oil floated on the vinegar.
💡'dissolve' only works when the solid truly mixes at the molecular level; oil and vinegar do not dissolve.

2. To officially bring an end to a formal organization, institution, or legal relat

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

To officially bring an end to a formal organization, institution, or legal relationship, so that it no longer exists as a legal entity.

例句

The board of directors voted to dissolve the charity after the financial scandal.

transitive: dissolve + organization

Their business partnership was dissolved by mutual agreement last December.

passive: was dissolved by + agent

同義詞
  • terminate

    slightly broader; can end contracts, not just organizations

  • disband

    usually for groups of people (a team, a club); less formal than 'dissolve'

  • annul

    declares something invalid from the start, often used for marriages

反義詞
  • establish

    to set up or create an organization

  • form

    to bring into existence

文法句型

dissolve + organization

be dissolved

dissolve + partnership / marriage / parliament

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice. The subject must be a formal legal entity — company, parliament, marriage, partnership — never informal groups like 'a team' or 'a club'.

常見錯誤

❌The team dissolved after losing the game.
✅The team broke up after losing the game.
💡'dissolve' is for formally constituted organizations, not casual groups.
❌We dissolved our friendship.
✅We ended our friendship.
💡Friendships are not legal entities; 'dissolve' is too formal and legal.

3. To slowly cease to be visible or present, as if fading away or breaking apart in

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

To slowly cease to be visible or present, as if fading away or breaking apart into nothing, often used for mist, emotions, doubts, or crowds.

例句

The morning mist dissolved as the summer sun climbed above the hills.

intransitive: subject = natural phenomenon (mist)

Nora's worries dissolved when she heard the doctor's reassuring words.

intransitive: subject = emotion (worries)

同義詞
  • fade

    suggests becoming less bright or intense, often used for light, sound, or memory

  • disperse

    suggests things moving apart in different directions, like a crowd

  • evaporate

    suggests disappearance as if turning to vapour; can be sudden or gradual

反義詞
  • appear

    to come into view

  • gather

    to come together, opposite of disperse

文法句型

dissolve + adverb/preposition

dissolve into + noun

用法筆記

Subject is usually an intangible thing — emotions, mist, doubt, a crowd — that fades gradually. Cannot be used for objects that disappear suddenly or are physically removed.

常見錯誤

❌The cat dissolved into the garden.
✅The cat disappeared into the garden.
💡'dissolve' is for gradual fading, not sudden disappearance of a physical being.
❌Her anger dissolved instantly.
✅Her anger dissolved gradually over time.
💡'dissolve' implies a slow, natural process, not instant change.

dissolve — noun