build upvsdissipate
Build up and dissipate are opposites, often used of forces like tension or momentum. Build up means to increase, develop or strengthen gradually — pressure, tension, reserves and momentum build up, growing course by course. Dissipate means to scatter and fade to nothing — the same tension, heat or energy dissipates, thinning away until none is left. One develops a thing toward more; the other lets it fade toward nothing.
A trowel sweeps the line and bricks drop into place course by course, the wall rising in staggered rows toward a guide-line — a thing built steadily higher.
/ˌbɪld ˈʌp//ˌbɪld ˈʌp/·phrasal verbA thick white fog lies over the hills, then thins, lifts and fades to slow patches until nothing of it is left — a thing scattering away to nothing.
/ˈdɪsɪpeɪt//ˈdɪsɪpeɪt/·verbThese two trace the rise and fall of a force. Build up, the everyday phrasal verb, grows something steadily — tension builds up over a long wait, pressure builds up in a boiler, momentum builds up behind a campaign. Dissipate, from dissipare ('to scatter'), lets that same thing break up and vanish: the tension dissipates, the pressure dissipates, the heat dissipates. Where one mounts, the other melts away.
What each means
build up
To build up is to increase or strengthen something step by step until it amounts to something solid — reserves, muscle, momentum, a reputation, or the tension before a release. It is the hands-on, everyday twin of accumulate: where things accumulate almost on their own, you build up by adding deliberately, one layer onto the last. The phrasal verb leans toward development and strength, and it cuts both ways — you can build up savings and stamina, or let pressure build up until something finally gives.
dissipate
To dissipate is to scatter and fade until nothing is left: fog dissipates as the sun climbs, tension dissipates after an argument, energy dissipates as heat. Unlike disperse, where a thing spreads out but still exists somewhere, what dissipates loses itself completely — it thins into the air and is gone. From the Latin dissipare, 'to scatter', it can also mean to squander: a fortune may dissipate as surely as mist. Either way, something concentrated ends as nothing.
At a glance
| build up | dissipate | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | increase, develop or strengthen gradually | scatter and fade to nothing |
| Direction | mounts, grows stronger | thins, fades away |
| Of a force | tension builds up | tension dissipates |
| Often with | tension, pressure, momentum, reserves | tension, heat, energy, fog |
| Noun | buildup | dissipation |
| Example | Pressure built up. | The pressure dissipated. |
How to remember the difference
They are opposites — mount vs fade. Build up is the brick wall: a force or holding grows steadily, course by course (tension builds up, momentum builds up). Dissipate is the fog burning off: the same thing scatters and fades until nothing is left (tension dissipates, heat dissipates). If something grows stronger, it builds up; if it fades to nothing, it dissipates.
Examples
build up
- Tension built up through the long negotiation.
- Pressure built up behind the dam.
- Momentum built up week by week.
dissipate
- The tension dissipated the moment they laughed.
- Heat dissipates quickly once the lid is off.
- The team's momentum dissipated after the injury.
They are antonyms, neatly matched on forces: tension, pressure or momentum can build up and later dissipate. Build up is a steady developing; dissipate is a scattering away. The same energy that builds up over an evening can dissipate in an instant.
FAQ
- What is the difference between build up and dissipate?
- Build up is to increase, develop or strengthen gradually (tension builds up); dissipate is to scatter and fade to nothing (tension dissipates). They are opposites: one mounts, the other fades.
- Are build up and dissipate opposites?
- Yes, they are antonyms — especially of forces like tension, pressure and momentum.
- What are the noun forms of build up and dissipate?
- Buildup (one word) for build up; dissipation for dissipate.
- How are build up and dissipate used?
- Often of forces: pressure or tension builds up and then dissipates; heat builds up and dissipates.
- What is the opposite of dissipate?
- Build up, accumulate or gather — to grow or bring together rather than scatter and fade.