DESTABILISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does destabilise mean? 

• DESTABILISE (verb)
  The verb DESTABILISE has 2 senses:

1. become unstable

2. make unstable

  Familiarity information: DESTABILISE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESTABILISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they destabilise    ... he / she / it destabilises   
Past simple: destabilised   
Past participle: destabilised   
-ing form: destabilising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Become unstable

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

destabilise; destabilize

Context example:

The economy destabilized rapidly

Hypernyms (to "destabilise" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Antonym:

stabilize (become stable or more stable)

Derivation:

destabilisation (the action of destabilizing; making something less stable (especially of a government or country or economy))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make unstable

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

destabilise; destabilize

Context example:

Terrorism destabilized the government

Hypernyms (to "destabilise" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

stabilise (make stable and keep from fluctuating or put into an equilibrium)

Derivation:

destabilisation (the action of destabilizing; making something less stable (especially of a government or country or economy))

 Context examples 

What is not fully known is the extent to which surface water might destabilise an ice shelf, especially in warmer summers when more meltwater is produced.

(Surface lakes cause Antarctic ice shelves to ‘flex’, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Magnetism in two dimensions is almost against the laws of physics due to the destabilising effect of fluctuations, but in this material, it seems to be true.

(‘Magnetic graphene’ switches between insulator and conductor, University of Cambridge)