Translation guide
To make a feeling, belief, or doubt go away; to drive away something abstract like fear or misunderstanding.
To remove or get rid of a negative feeling such as fear, anxiety, or doubt.
Literally 'wipe away'; used for completely removing negative feelings, doubts, or worries. Common in both spoken and written Japanese.
彼の言葉で不安が払拭された。
His words dispelled my anxiety.
To show that a widely held belief or idea is false.
Literally 'untie a misunderstanding'. The most natural way to say 'dispel a misconception' in everyday Japanese.
この記事はよくある誤解を解くのに役立つ。
This article helps dispel common misconceptions.
To drive away something physical like darkness or mist, often used metaphorically.
Literary expression meaning 'to dispel darkness'. Often used in poetic or metaphorical contexts.
月明かりが闇を払った。
The moonlight dispelled the darkness.
払拭する is more emphatic and often used for completely eliminating negative feelings or doubts. 取り除く is a general term for removal and can be used for both abstract and concrete things. In casual conversation, 取り除く might sound more natural.
English 'dispel' is often used with abstract objects like 'myth' or 'notion'. In Japanese, direct translations like 神話を払拭する are possible but may sound unnatural. Often it's better to use phrases like 誤解を解く (resolve a misunderstanding) or 神話を覆す (overturn a myth).
Means 'to remove' or 'to get rid of'. Can be used for abstract things like fears or doubts, but also for physical objects. Slightly less formal than 払拭する.
誤解を取り除くために説明した。
I explained to dispel the misunderstanding.
Often used with specific nouns like 疑い (doubt) or 恨み (grudge). Implies clearing away something that clouds the mind.
彼の説明で疑いが晴れた。
His explanation dispelled my doubts.
Means 'to deny' or 'to negate'. Can be used for dispelling rumors or negative thoughts by countering them.
噂を打ち消すために声明を出した。
They issued a statement to dispel the rumors.
Means 'to overturn a myth'. Used when dispelling a widely believed but false idea, often in academic or journalistic contexts.
その研究は長年の神話を覆した。
The study dispelled a long-standing myth.
Specifically for dispelling superstitions. 打ち破る means 'to break down' or 'to shatter'.
科学は多くの迷信を打ち破ってきた。
Science has dispelled many superstitions.
Intransitive; means 'the fog clears'. To express 'dispel fog' actively, you might say 霧を晴らす, but it's less common.
朝日で霧が晴れた。
The morning sun dispelled the fog.