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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DISARMING

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connect today's word to others:

If your sweet smile or your quick wit disarms me, then I'm at ease, and you're disarming. (No one needs to use their arms today: their weapons.)

And if your sweet smile or your quick wit __fangs me, then I'm powerless, and you're __fanging. (No one needs to use their fangs today: their strength.)

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

make your point with...

"DISARMING"

To arm people is to provide them with weapons or powers.

To disarm people is to take away their weapons or powers. (Sometimes we use that word literally, as in, "We're grateful to him for disarming the shooter" and "Disarming that nation is our goal.")

So, someone or something disarming makes people feel as if they don't need to use their weapons or powers, because they feel less hostile, less suspicious, more friendly, and more trusting.

In other words, disarming people and things are soothing, charming, or putting people at ease.

Pronunciation:
diss ARM ing

Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a disarming thing" or "a disarming person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was disarming" or "He was disarming.")

Other forms:
disarmingly

How to use it:

Talk about disarming smiles and glances, disarming honesty or simplicity or vulnerability, a disarming sense of humor, a disarming show or display of goodwill, etc.

And to use the adverb, talk about disarmingly likeable people, disarmingly sweet comments, disarmingly simple explanations, etc.

examples:

His stand-up routines are disarmingly candid, blending personal stories with social commentary.

"In her new memoir, she writes about the trials of immigration with seriousness but also a disarming humor."
   —John Williams, The New York Times, 6 May 2018

study it now:

Look away from the screen to define "disarming" without saying "charming" or "putting people at ease."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "With ____, the atmosphere is disarming in the _____."

Example: "With a softly burbling fish tank and a mural of the ocean, the atmosphere is disarming in the waiting room."

before you review:

Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.

Apt Adjective Anagrams! 

I'll invent a person's name and a brief description of that person, and you unscramble the letters in the name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation.

For example, if I say "Naomi Cirous is still holding a grudge," then you rearrange the letters in "Naomi Cirous" to form the adjective "acrimonious," meaning "sharp, bitter, and mean"--an appropriate adjective for someone holding a grudge.

From the previous issue: Sentimental movies always bring Martin Devesto to tears.

Answer: He's demonstrative.

Try this today: Horacio Decus wears fluorescent dress shirts and ties emblazoned with flamingos. 

review today's word:

1. A close opposite of DISARMING is

A. HOSTILE.
B. HASTY.
C. HATED.

2. The students _____ as the professor presented her disarmingly _____ syllabus.

A. tensed up .. complex
B. relaxed .. straightforward
C. raised their eyebrows .. ambitious

Answers are below.

a final word:

Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From Liesl's blog:
   36 ways to study words.
   Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
   How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.

To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

Answers to review questions:
1. A
2. B

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