sublimation
2 antonyms and opposites of sublimation, grouped by meaning.
Noun — The change of a solid directly into a gas without passing through a liquid stage, and sometimes the reverse change from gas straight to solid.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The change of a solid directly into a gas without passing through a liquid stage, and sometimes the reverse change from gas straight to solid.
“Dry ice does not melt; it disappears by sublimation into carbon dioxide gas.”
Opposites
2. noun
In psychology, the process of redirecting an urge that cannot be acted on directly — often an aggressive or sexual one — into an activity that is socially acceptable or creative.
“He described his boxing as a sublimation of a temper he could not otherwise control.”
Antonyms
How to use sublimation
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Chemistry sense is the everyday one; the psychology sense belongs to Freudian theory and appears mainly in academic writing.
Etymology
From Latin sublimare "to raise up, elevate", from sublimis "lofty, uplifted".
Full origin of sublimation →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sublimation and evaporation?
Evaporation is a liquid turning into a gas, such as a puddle drying up. Sublimation skips the liquid stage entirely, going straight from solid to gas — dry ice and mothballs are the standard examples.
What is the opposite of sublimation?
Deposition, sometimes called desublimation: a gas turning directly into a solid without becoming liquid first. Frost forming on a cold window is deposition.
Is sublimation endothermic or exothermic?
Endothermic. Breaking a solid apart into free gas molecules requires energy, so a subliming substance absorbs heat from its surroundings — which is why dry ice feels intensely cold.