disarm
Americanverb (used with object)
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disarms,
present (3rd person singular)
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disarmed,
past participle, past
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disarming
present participle
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to deprive of a weapon or weapons.
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to remove the fuze or other actuating device from.
to disarm a bomb.
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to deprive of the means of attack or defense.
The lack of logic disarmed his argument.
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to divest or relieve of hostility, suspicion, etc.; win the affection or approval of; charm.
His smile disarmed us.
verb (used without object)
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disarms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disarmed,
past participle, past
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disarming
present participle
-
to lay down one's weapons.
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(of a country) to reduce or limit the size, equipment, armament, etc., of the army, navy, or air force.
verb
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(tr) to remove defensive or offensive capability from (a country, army, etc)
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(tr) to deprive of weapons
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(tr) to remove the triggering device of (a bomb, shell, etc)
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(tr) to win the confidence or affection of
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(intr) (of a nation, etc) to decrease the size and capability of one's armed forces
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(intr) to lay down weapons
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disarmsimple
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disarmssimple
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have disarmedperfect
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has disarmedperfect
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am disarmingprogressive
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are disarmingprogressive
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is disarmingprogressive
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have been disarmingperfect progressive
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has been disarmingperfect progressive
Past
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disarmedsimple
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had disarmedperfect
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was disarmingprogressive
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were disarmingprogressive
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had been disarmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disarm
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English word from Old French word desarmer. See dis- 1, arm 2
Explanation
When you disarm someone, you take their weapons away from them. An archery instructor might, for example, disarm a student if he wasn't handling his bow and arrow carefully. To disarm is to remove a gun, knife — or any kind of weapon — from someone's hands, or from a group of people. A government might work to disarm a rebel group, for example, and police officers sometimes offer to pay money for guns in an attempt to disarm citizens. You can also use the verb to mean "win someone over," like when you disarm a cranky store cashier with your friendly smile. Disarm has an Old French root word, desarmer.
Vocabulary lists containing disarm
My Brother Sam is Dead
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"Say It with Flowers" and "The Journey"
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Wolf Hollow
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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.
See Examples For:
Zaidi, who took office in May, has vowed to disarm them and bring all weapons under state control following the coalition's exit.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
With several powerful groups refusing to disarm, senior politicians have intervened and are now hoping to work out a compromise deal.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
She implemented wry wit like a tactical defense, a trusty tool in her arsenal that could disarm an opponent and defuse tricky conversations.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
"If citizens arm themselves how do you control them at the end of the crisis, how are you able to disarm them?" he asks.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
She didn’t need to decimate them, all she needed to do was disarm them and keep them off balance.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
He has grown increasingly frustrated with the Sudanese military, which refuses to engage in a peace process unless the RSF disarms and withdraws from the territory it has occupied.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The agreement requires the Lebanese state to take back control of its territory a little at a time as it disarms and dismantles the militant group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
"Our approach is to use a particular type of phage that disarms the bacteria. We remove their ability to exchange drug-resistance genes or to move around by breaking off this appendage."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2024
“The honesty of it disarms you at every turn.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
She disarms me with this bit of truth.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Wearing cowboy boots and a handlebar mustache, he had a Texas twang and a quiet, calm presence that disarmed suspects, eliciting confessions.
From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026
It has said the campaign will continue until Hezbollah is disarmed.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
Even if the regime doesn’t fall, it will be leaderless, impoverished, isolated, besieged, mostly disarmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026
Any skeptic would find themselves disarmed by her soft smile and twinkling voice, and her tendency to address everyone as “angel.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
His swords flashed lightning as, two by two, he disarmed them all.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
It’s a sunny afternoon in the Mexican capital, and the disarming sweetness with which he expresses his thoughts mirrors the band’s vulnerable soundscapes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
A man who was hailed a hero for disarming one of the Bondi Beach shooters in December has had assault charges against him dropped by police.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Fruit seller Ahmed al Ahmed was hailed as a hero after footage showed him disarming a gunman during the December 14 attack, which killed 15 people at a Jewish festival.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
But the music journalist persisted, disarming the musician by presenting him with some guitar picks that had belonged to Cliff Gallup, one of Beck’s early rockabilly heroes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
It’s as if I’ve been holding a weapon all this time, ready to defend myself if he said anything wrong, and he just pulled it out of my hand, disarming me.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
