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disintegrate Definition

dis·in·te·grate (dis in′tə grāt′)

transitive verb, intransitive verb -·grat′ed, -·grat′·ing

  1. to separate into parts or fragments; break up; disunite
  2. to undergo or cause to undergo a nuclear transformation as a result of radioactive decay or a nuclear reaction

disintegrate Related Forms

dis·in′·te·gra′·tive adjective dis·in′·te·gra′·tor noun

disintegrate Synonyms

disintegrate

v.

  1. To break up

    break down, separate, atomize, dissolve, divide, dismantle, break into pieces, disunite, disperse, crumble, disband, fall apart, take apart, disorganize, detach, break apart, come apart, sever, disconnect, wash away, wear away, erode, fall to pieces, turn to dust, fade away, reduce to ashes; see also destroy 1, dissolve 1.

    Antonyms unite*, put together, combine. *

  2. To decay

    decompose, crumble, rot, deteriorate; see decay. See syn. study at decay.

disintegrate Usage Examples

Object

  • society: If human beings are essentially social animals, what happens to babies in a disintegrating society?
  • relationship: Debra comes across as a fairly unsympathetic woman, frustrated with her disintegrating family relationships.
  • force: Others pulled a " mass strike " when the Union armies invaded the Confederacy and helped disintegrate the labor force of the rebellious South.
  • community: By his learning and example and with trained disciples, he unified the disintegrated Jain community and also spread Jain doctrine.
  • world: We live, Lord, in a disintegrating world.
  • state: Instead the occupying US forces were faced with a political vacuum and a disintegrating local state.

Preposition: into

  • chaos: Of course, the whole thing disintegrates into utter painful chaos.
  • powder: In a kind of shock, I watched as the whole garment disintegrated into powder.
  • dust: When DU rounds punch through an enemy target such as a tank they disintegrate into uranium dioxide dust.
  • piece: We will not sit at rest until the USA is disintegrated into pieces, " he said.

Adjective complement

due: Accordingly the nation states will not disintegrate due to the impact of only one factor: the Internet.

Modifying Another Word

  • slowly: Just let them slowly disintegrate into the rot they are.
  • gradually: There is no need to disturb the roots just plant the whole lot in the ground and the pots will gradually disintegrate.
  • rapidly: I disintegrated very rapidly into an extraordinary state in which any normal sense of self was gone.
  • quickly: Large groups were unstable and tended to disintegrate quickly.
  • completely: Then there was the way United's form, which completely disintegrated once the team was out of the European Cup.
  • totally: Eventually, the dead, rotting material playing host to this variety of organisms, will totally disintegrate.

Used with why or when

when: In fact, they are smaller than 1 penny pieces and disintegrate when placed near water or are exposed to direct sunlight.

Present participle complement

leave: Without some restraints an event could disintegrate leaving you feeling unsure whether or not you've done a job well.

Preposition: under

pressure: Tears of despair as I watched him disintegrate under the pressures of growing up in the modern world.