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
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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:
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
A senior Hamas official has told the BBC they have agreed to the Board of Peace's plan to completely disarm in Gaza and that an official statement will be released soon.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Zaidi has also ordered them to disarm and put their members under state control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Rubio meanwhile said in a statement that the agreement establishes a "clear and structured process" to disarm Hezbollah and its infrastructure, as well as a US-facilitated military working group to help implement the deal.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
How had she let him disarm her that easily?
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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
The justice minister praised the "brave people who disarmed the attacker", referring to a group of people who can be seen intervening in a video of the incident circulated online.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
It even looks like if anyone fired Pretti’s gun, it was a federal agent who had disarmed him and accidentally shot it into the pavement.
From Slate ● Jan. 24, 2026
Previously we cited Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Muslim passerby who disarmed a terrorist for a time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
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
Lloyd George also wanted Germany disarmed, but he was more cautious than Clemenceau.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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
“It can keep fighting Hezbollah and erode its capabilities, but disarming is part of a much bigger process.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Tyrion turned to Young Griff and gave the lad his most disarming smile.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
