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Disintegrate
To break into small pieces; to lose cohesion or integrity; to crumble or decay.
verb💡
Imagine This
Imagine a grand statue standing in a fierce storm. Rain and wind batter it for years, and chunks of stone peel away until only fragments remain scattered on the ground.
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Sounds Like
DIS-in-TIG-rayt
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Looks Like
Looks like 'integrate' with the prefix dis- (opposite) indicating breaking apart
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Remember This
The prefix dis- means apart or away, and integrate means to make whole; disintegrate literally means to fall apart from wholeness.
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Other Forms
disintegratesverb
disintegratedverb
disintegratingverb
disintegrationnoun
disintegratornoun
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Connect With
cohere, hold together, fragment, crumble, deteriorate
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Note
Use disintegrate for physical breakdown or metaphorical collapse (plans, relationships, systems). Do not confuse with dissolve (to become a solution) or decompose (biological decay).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The ancient statue began to disintegrate after years of exposure to rain and wind.
- Their plans disintegrated when key sponsors pulled out.
Synonyms
crumblebreak apartfragmentshatterdeteriorate
Antonyms
coherehold togetherunitepreserve
Etymology
From Latin dis- ‘apart’ + integer ‘whole’; the sense developed to mean breaking apart or separating the whole into pieces.
Mnemonic
Mnemonic: DIS- + INTEGRATE. Remember that disintegrate means to tear apart what was once integrated; think of dis- (apart) applied to integral/whole to cue the meaning of breaking apart.
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Elaborate
verbTo explain or describe something in greater detail; to add more information. As an adjective, describing something that is highly detailed or ornate.
Coalition
nounA union or combination of groups or parties for a common purpose; a temporary alliance.
Confound
verbTo confuse or perplex; to cause someone to mistake one thing for another or to be unable to think clearly.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.
Absolve
verbTo free someone from blame or responsibility; to pardon or exonerate.
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