To dispel something means to make it go away by proving it wrong or showing it isn't real. When you dispel a fear, a rumor, or a misunderstanding, you drive it out like opening curtains to chase away darkness.

Imagine your class believes the new substitute teacher is mean because someone spread that rumor. When she arrives and turns out to be friendly and funny, her behavior dispels that false impression. The facts scatter the wrong belief like wind scattering fog.

You might dispel your friend's worries about an upcoming test by reminding them how well they studied. A scientist dispels an old myth by conducting experiments that prove it false. Parents often work to dispel their children's fears about thunderstorms by explaining what actually causes them.

Think of dispelling as actively pushing out something unwanted: doubts, myths, concerns, or confusion. Someone or something arrives with truth or evidence that makes them vanish. When you dispel darkness with a flashlight, you're bringing light that makes the darkness impossible.