noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/dɪsˈɑː(ɹ)m/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/dɪsˈɑɹm/
rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)m
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 S AA1 R M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of depriving a person of a weapon they carry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To deprive of weapons; to deprive of the means of attack or defense; to render defenseless.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To deprive of the means or the disposition to harm; to render harmless or innocuous.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to disarm a man's wrath
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To lay down arms; to stand down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To reduce one's own military forces.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To render into a state in which something is no longer armed, or prepared for use (such as to disable the security systems on).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
remove offensive capability from
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: demilitarize, demilitarise
Antonyms: arm
8
verb
Meaning 8
take away the weapons from; render harmless
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unarm
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: deprive, strip, divest
Narrower terms: demilitarize, demilitarise
9
verb
Meaning 9
make less hostile; win over
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Her charm disarmed the prosecution lawyer completely
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: convert, win over, convince
History
Etymology
From Middle English desarmen (“to divest of arms”), from Anglo-Norman desarmer.
Across languages
Translations
86 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
զինաթափել
(zinatʻapʻel)
— to deprive of arms
Asturian:
desarmar
— to deprive of arms
Belarusian:
раззбро́йваць
(razzbrójvacʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Belarusian:
раззбро́іць
(razzbróicʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Belarusian:
абяззбро́йваць
(abjazzbrójvacʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Belarusian:
абяззбро́іць
(abjazzbróicʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Bulgarian:
обезоръжавам
(obezorǎžavam)
— to deprive of arms
Catalan:
desarmar
— to deprive of arms
Chinese Mandarin:
解除武裝 /解除武装
(jiěchú wǔzhuāng)
— to deprive of arms
Czech:
odzbrojit
— to deprive of arms
Danish:
afvæbne
— to deprive of arms
Dutch:
ontwapenen
— to deprive of arms
Esperanto:
malarmi
— to deprive of arms
Finnish:
riisua aseista
— to deprive of arms
French:
désarmer
— to deprive of arms
Gallurese:
disalmà
— to deprive of arms
German:
entwaffnen
— to deprive of arms
Hungarian:
lefegyverez
— to deprive of arms
Icelandic:
afvopna
— to deprive of arms
Ido:
desarmizar
— to deprive of arms
Irish:
dí-armáil
— to deprive of arms
Italian:
disarmare
— to deprive of arms
Japanese:
武装解除する
(busō kaijo suru)
— to deprive of arms
Latin:
exarmō
— to deprive of arms
Latin:
dēarmō
— to deprive of arms
Latvian:
atbruņot
— to deprive of arms
Māori:
tupe
— to deprive of arms
Old English:
bewǣpnian
— to deprive of arms
Polish:
rozbrajać
— to deprive of arms
Polish:
rozbroić
— to deprive of arms
Portuguese:
desarmar
— to deprive of arms
Romanian:
dezarma
— to deprive of arms
Russian:
разоружа́ть
(razoružátʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Russian:
разоружи́ть
(razoružítʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Russian:
обезору́живать
(obezorúživatʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Russian:
обезору́жить
(obezorúžitʹ)
— to deprive of arms
Campidanese Sardinian:
disarmai
— to deprive of arms
Sassarese:
disaimai
— to deprive of arms
Scottish Gaelic:
dì-armaich
— to deprive of arms
Serbo-Croatian:
разоружати
— to deprive of arms
Serbo-Croatian:
razoružati
— to deprive of arms
Spanish:
desarmar
— to deprive of arms
Swedish:
avväpna
— to deprive of arms
Turkish:
silahsızlanmak
— to deprive of arms
Ukrainian:
роззбро́ювати
(rozzbrójuvaty)
— to deprive of arms
Ukrainian:
роззбро́їти
(rozzbrójity)
— to deprive of arms
Ukrainian:
обеззбро́ювати
(obezzbrójuvaty)
— to deprive of arms
Ukrainian:
обеззбро́їти
(obezzbrójity)
— to deprive of arms
Welsh:
diarfogi
— to deprive of arms
Czech:
odzbrojit
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Danish:
afvæbne
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Dutch:
ontwapenen
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Finnish:
tehdä vaarattomaksi
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Gallurese:
disalmà
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
German:
entwaffnen
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Italian:
disarmare
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Māori:
tupe
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Portuguese:
desarmar
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Russian:
обезвре́живать
(obezvréživatʹ)
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Russian:
обезвре́дить
(obezvréditʹ)
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Campidanese Sardinian:
disarmai
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Sassarese:
disaimai
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Swedish:
avväpna
— to deprive of the means or the disposition to harm
Bulgarian:
разоръжавам се
(razorǎžavam se)
— to lay down arms
Chinese Mandarin:
繳械 /缴械
(jiǎoxiè)
— to lay down arms
Chinese Mandarin:
放下武器
(fàngxià wǔqì)
— to lay down arms
Chinese Mandarin:
解除武裝 /解除武装
(jiěchú wǔzhuāng)
— to lay down arms
Dutch:
ontwapenen
— to lay down arms
Finnish:
laskea aseensa
— to lay down arms
Japanese:
干戈を収める
(kanka o osameru)
— to lay down arms
Japanese:
武器を捨てる
(buki o suteru)
— to lay down arms
Russian:
разоружа́ться
(razoružátʹsja)
— to lay down arms
Russian:
разоружи́ться
(razoružítʹsja)
— to lay down arms
Russian:
сложи́ть ору́жие
(složítʹ orúžije)
— to lay down arms
Bulgarian:
разоръжавам се
(razorǎžavam se)
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Chinese Mandarin:
裁軍 /裁军
(cáijūn)
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Finnish:
vähentää asevoimia
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Japanese:
軍備を縮小する
(gunbi o shukushō suru)
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Japanese:
軍縮する
(gunshuku suru)
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Russian:
разоружа́ться
(razoružátʹsja)
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Russian:
разоружи́ться
(razoružítʹsja)
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Swedish:
nedrusta
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Vietnamese:
tài binh
— to reduce the size of one's own military forces
Finnish:
purkaa viritys
— to render into a state in which something is no longer armed
Finnish:
poistaa viritys
— to render into a state in which something is no longer armed
Irish:
dí-armáil
— to render into a state in which something is no longer armed