Disintegrate
To break into small pieces; to lose cohesion or integrity; to crumble or decay.
verbDisintegrate
To break into small pieces; to lose cohesion or integrity; to crumble or decay.
verbImagine 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.
Sounds Like
DIS-in-TIG-rayt
Looks Like
Looks like 'integrate' with the prefix dis- (opposite) indicating breaking apart
Remember This
The prefix dis- means apart or away, and integrate means to make whole; disintegrate literally means to fall apart from wholeness.
Other Forms
Connect With
cohere, hold together, fragment, crumble, deteriorate
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).