Synonyms

reassuring

American

[ree-uh-shoor-ing, -shur-] / ˌri əˈʃʊər ɪŋ, -ˈʃɜr- /

adjective

restoring or boosting confidence, certainty, or security.

All children deserve safety, comfort, privacy, and reassuring routines.
The reassuring news is that the insects don't carry nearly enough of the virus to infect a human.

noun

the act or process of restoring or boosting confidence, certainty, or security.

One drawback is that telemedicine does not allow for the physical comforting and reassuring of a patient.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of reassuring

First recorded in 1700–10; reassur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; reassur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Explanation

Something reassuring comforts or inspires you. A reassuring smile can help to calm a nervous speaker who's about to give a speech. When you're anxious about singing in the talent show, some reassuring words from your best friend or your dad's reassuring hug can make you feel much more relaxed and confident. And fearful flyers sometimes find the calm voice of the captain reassuring. This adjective comes from the verb reassure, or "restore to confidence," which adds re-, or "again," to assure, which has the Latin root securus, "safe or secure."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Reassuring clients comes down to communication and trying to illustrate what their financial path looks like.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

Reassuring not that contamination isn’t present — it is — but that many of us are taking the simple, manageable steps to lower our risk.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025

Reassuring words that can keep older adults, and their money, safer from scam artists in the future.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2023

Reassuring passengers with the scent of cleansers, she says, makes perfect sense, because many of us have been taught since childhood that this is what clean and safe smells like.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2022

Reassuring us if we were having trouble with a new routine: “Small steps, girls! Everything starts with small steps!”

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023