disarming

[dis-ahr-ming]

adjective

1. removing or capable of removing hostility, suspicion, etc., as by being charming.

   a disarming smile.

   Synonyms: winsome, engaging, winning

disarming

/ dɪsˈɑːmɪŋ /

adjective

1. tending to neutralize or counteract hostility, suspicion, etc

Other Word Forms

• disarmingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of disarming¹

First recorded in 1540–50; disarm + -ing ²

Example Sentences

There is a silence to the witching hours, a calm that can be disarming, but it’s never been an eerie silence for me, even when I’ve been handling the dead.

From Salon

For a man who could rebuild a motorcycle from the ground up, it was a disarming gesture: soft, domestic, almost old-fashioned.

From Salon

On the flip side, O’Brien’s Roman may not possess the sharpness of “the brightest tool in the shed” as he erroneously says, but his disarmingly endearing lack of malice enthralls the more cynical Dennis.

From Los Angeles Times

David wrote from the perspective of a “vocal critic” of the Nazi dictator who, over dinner, finds Hitler to be surprisingly “disarming” and “authentic.”

From Los Angeles Times

Her voice was disarmingly vibrant; her words tumbled out in vivid colors, textures.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• convincing 
• ingratiating 
• irresistible 
• persuasive 
• seductive