disarm
gb/dɪsˈɑɹm/ us/dɪsˈɑɹm/
B2
English
~ 9600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
take weapons away from someone
to take away guns or other weapons from a person, group, or country so they cannot use them
Usage pattern:
to disarm [someone/group/country]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "disarm" with "demilitarize." Use "disarm" for taking weapons from people, groups, or a country, and "demilitarize" mainly for removing military forces or weapons from a specific area or zone. Learners may also incorrectly say *"disarm his weapon"; natural English is "disarm him" or "take his weapon away."
Synonyms
deprive of weapons (more formal, often used in written or legal contexts rather than everyday speech)
|
demilitarize (used mainly about removing military forces or weapons from an area or country, not usually a single person)
Antonyms
arm (to give weapons to someone, the direct opposite of taking weapons away)
|
rearm (to give weapons again after they were taken away, opposite process over time)
Collocations
disarm an attacker
|disarm the suspect
|disarm the rebels
|disarm the population
|agree to disarm
|call for disarmament
Themes
conflict
|law
|safety
|politics
Examples
- Police managed to disarm the attacker before anyone was hurt.
- The peace agreement required both sides to disarm within six months.
- International observers were sent to monitor whether the militia groups actually disarmed.
- The government promised to disarm the rebels in exchange for political reforms.
Learner examples
- The officer quickly disarmed the man.
- After the war, the country had to disarm.
- Soldiers came to disarm the local groups.
- They signed a plan to disarm their army.
Verb
B2
action
2
make bomb or system safe
to stop a bomb, alarm, or other device from working so it cannot hurt anyone or make a signal
Usage pattern:
to disarm [a bomb/alarm/device]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "turn off" instead of "disarm" for bombs and explosives. While "turn off" can work for alarms or systems, for bombs or dangerous devices, "disarm" or "deactivate" is more natural. Also avoid saying *"disarm the door"; say "disarm the alarm" or "disarm the security system."
Synonyms
deactivate (more technical and neutral, used broadly for switching off any kind of device)
|
disable (emphasizes making something unable to function, not always with the idea of safety)
Antonyms
arm (for bombs or systems, means to set them so they are ready to explode or trigger)
|
activate (to start something working, opposite of making it unable to work)
Collocations
disarm a bomb
|disarm an explosive device
|disarm the alarm
|disarm the security system
|bomb-disposal experts disarmed
|successfully disarm
Themes
safety
|technology
|crime
|law
Examples
- Specialists worked for hours to safely disarm the bomb.
- Please remember to disarm the alarm before you open the door.
- The device exploded while they were trying to disarm it.
- Once the security system is disarmed, the technicians can begin repairs.
Learner examples
- The police robot disarmed the bomb.
- She forgot to disarm the alarm and it rang loudly.
- Experts disarmed the explosive device in the street.
- You need a code to disarm the security system.
Verb
C1
action
3
make someone less angry or hostile
to make a person stop feeling angry or against you, often because you are kind or friendly
Usage pattern:
to disarm [someone] (with [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is still about physical weapons. In this sense, "disarm" is figurative: you are taking away a person's emotional "weapons" like anger or criticism, not real guns. Do not say *"disarm his anger from him"; instead say "disarm his anger" or "disarm him with a smile."
Synonyms
win over (focuses on gaining support or agreement, not specifically on reducing anger)
|
charm (emphasizes being attractive or pleasant, which can have the effect of disarming someone)
Antonyms
provoke (to make someone more angry or upset, the opposite emotional effect)
|
alienate (to make someone feel distant or unfriendly toward you, instead of bringing them closer)
Collocations
disarm criticism
|disarm an opponent
|disarm someone with a smile
|disarm hostility
|disarm suspicion
|utterly disarming
Themes
emotions
|social
|communication
|relationships
Examples
- His honesty about the mistake completely disarmed his critics.
- She disarmed the angry customer with a sincere apology.
- Her shy smile disarmed him, and he decided not to argue further.
- The speaker began with a joke to disarm the tense audience.
Learner examples
- Her warm smile disarmed him.
- He disarmed his boss with a simple, honest answer.
- The joke disarmed the angry crowd.
- She tried to disarm her friend with kind words.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disarm
IPA
GB/dɪsˈɑɹm/
US/dɪsˈɑɹm/
Syllables & stress
dis - arm (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (arm)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: disarm
- 3rd Person Singular: disarms
- Present Participle: disarming
- Past: disarmed
Word family
Forms
disarms
verb
disarming
verb
disarmed
verb
Core family
arm
verb A1
disarmament
noun B2
Related words
armed
adjective
unarmed
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
disarmingly
adverb
armament
noun C1
Expressions
disarm a bomb
1/dɪsˈɑɹm ə bˈɑm/
fixed phrase
make a bomb safe
to stop a bomb from working so that it cannot explode and hurt people
Examples
- The army called in specialists to disarm the bomb.
- Robots are often used to disarm a bomb from a safe distance.
disarm someone with a smile
1/dɪsˈɑɹm sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ ə smˈaɪl/
idiom
calm or win over by smiling
to make a person less angry or less strict by giving them a friendly smile
Examples
- She managed to disarm the strict teacher with a smile.
- He always tries to disarm people with a smile when they are upset.