Showing results for "reassuring"

• present participle of reassure.

reassuring

American  

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

adjective

1. 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.

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noun

1. 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

• unreassuring
  adjective
• reassuringly
  adverb
• unreassuringly
  adverb

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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

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reassuring

They may create a sense of urgency, offer reassuring answers, and dangle an attractive deal to lower your guard.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

I want to be there, waiting for brunch, with the reassuring knowledge that the restaurant is handling the details.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective tales “combined a sense of immediate novelty with a reassuring regularity of form.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

And that’s quite a reassuring process to observe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

When she does, she gets the most peaceful feeling, as if there’s a cool and reassuring hand on her forehead.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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Related Words

• assistance
• backing
• cheer
• comfort
• confidence
• consolation
• faith
• fortitude
• incentive
• inspiration
• optimism
• reassurance
• relief
• reward
• stimulation
• stimulus

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