disarming
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of disarming
Explanation
When something's disarming, it calms hostility. A disarming smile from you can transform what could have been a tense conversation with an angry neighbor. When you disarm a security system, it won't go off — everything is okay. The same thing happens when you act in a disarming way. A disarming gesture can make people feel less on their guard, like a famous actor whose disarming gesture shows he doesn't take himself so seriously after all. Disarming can also refer to the act of reducing military arms, or weapons.
Vocabulary lists containing disarming
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Pop Culture: December 29, 2018 - January 4, 2019
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Disarming may not be as unthinkable as it once was.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2025
Disarming her colleagues with her New York sophistication and Harvard credentials, Rebecca handles her troubled young charges with masterly ease.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023
Disarming such groups, one of the French objectives, could backfire unless both Christian and Muslim militias are disarmed, said Mr. Bouckaert and other analysts.
From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2013
Other classes are booking up fast: Urban Survival, Handgun Disarming and Retention, Defensive Shotgun, Family Firearms Safety, and Ladies of Liberty – a special class for women.
From Salon • Sep. 16, 2012
“And we don’t have to worry about Disarming, because he’s been able to do that for ages. I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening.”
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
