Standard Lemma guide

demystify

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /diːˈmɪstɪfaɪ/
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY0 M IH1 S T AH0 F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To remove the mystery from something; to explain or clarify.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The article was written to demystify the mechanics of the internal combustion engine.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

make less mysterious or remove the mystery from

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • let's demystify the event by explaining what it is all about

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: mystify

Broader terms: clarify, clear up, elucidate

History

Etymology

From French démystifier, or de- + mystify.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: desmitificar — to explain
  • Catalan: desmititzar — to explain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使明白易懂 (shǐ míngbái yìdǒng) — to explain
  • Czech: demystifikovat — to explain
  • Dutch: demystificeren — to explain
  • Esperanto: malmistifiki — to explain
  • Esperanto: senmistifikigi — to explain
  • Finnish: demystifioida — to explain
  • French: démystifier — to explain
  • French: démythifier — to explain
  • German: entmystifizieren — to explain
  • Hungarian: demisztifikál — to explain
  • Italian: demistificare — to explain
  • Polish: odczarowywać — to explain
  • Polish: odczarować — to explain
  • Portuguese: desmistificar — to explain
  • Russian: проясня́ть (projasnjátʹ) — to explain
  • Russian: проясни́ть (projasnítʹ) — to explain
  • Spanish: desmitificar — to explain
  • Swedish: avmystifiera — to explain