defuse

defuse

to remove the fuse from; to make less dangerous or tense: His apology defused a potentially ugly situation.

Not to be confused with:

diffuse – to pour out and spread; to scatter widely or thinly; disseminate: diffuse the seeds

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

de·fuse

 (dē-fyo͞oz′)

tr.v. de·fused, de·fus·ing, de·fus·es

1. To remove the fuse from (an explosive device).

2. To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile: a diplomatic move that defused the international crisis.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

defuse

(diːˈfjuːz) or

defuze

vb (tr)

1. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) to remove the triggering device of (a bomb, etc)

2. to remove the cause of tension from (a crisis, etc)

Usage: Avoid confusion with diffuse

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•fuse

(diˈfyuz)

v.t. -fused, -fus•ing

1. to remove the fuze from (a bomb, mine, etc.).

2. to make less dangerous, tense, or embarrassing: to defuse a tense situation.

[1940–45]

de•fus′er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

defuse

Past participle: defused
Gerund: defusing

Imperative

defuse

defuse

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

defuse - remove the triggering device from remove, take away, withdraw, take - remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract; "remove a threat"; "remove a wrapper"; "Remove the dirty dishes from the table"; "take the gun from your pocket"; "This machine withdraws heat from the environment" fuse - equip with a fuse; provide with a fuse

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

defuse

verb

1. calm, settle, cool, contain, smooth, stabilize, damp down, take the heat or sting out of Officials will hold talks aimed at defusing tensions over trade.
calm intensify, worsen, escalate, exacerbate, aggravate, magnify, inflame, make worse

2. deactivate, disable, disarm, make safe Police have defused a bomb.
deactivate arm, activate see diffuse

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

يَنْزَع الفَتيل، يُبْطِل مَفْعوليُهَدِّئ، يُلَطِّف

uklidnitzmírnitzneškodnit

afdramatisereafvæbnedesarmere

entschärfen

εξουδετερώνω

désamorcer

hatástalanít

gera sprengju óvirkakoma í veg fyrir, hindra

disinnescarerendere meno teso

išimti detonatorių

mazināt spriedzi/saspīlējumunoņemt detonatoru

avdramatiseredesarmereuskadeliggjøre

etkisiz hale getirmekyatıştırmak

使变得无害使缓和去掉...的导火线

defuse

[diːˈfjuːz] VT [+ bomb] → desactivar (fig) [+ tension] → calmar, apaciguar; [+ situation] → reducir la tensión de

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

defuse

[diːˈfjuːz] vt

[+ bomb] → désamorcer

[+ crisis, situation] → désamorcer

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

defuse

vt (lit, fig) → entschärfen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

defuse

[diːˈfjuːz] vt (bomb) → disinnescare
to defuse the situation → fare in modo che la situazione non degeneri

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

defuse

(diːˈfjuːz) verb

1. to remove the fuse from (a bomb etc). onskadelik maak/ stel, ontlont يَنْزَع الفَتيل، يُبْطِل مَفْعول обезвреждам desativar zneškodnit entschärfen desarmere εξουδετερώνωdesactivar (pommi) kahjutuks tegema چاشنی کشیدن؛ خنثی کردن purkaa désamorcer לְנַטרֵל פְּצָצָה किसी बम इत्यादि का फ्यूज हटाना deaktivirati, skinuti upaljač hatástalanít menjinakkan gera sprengju óvirka disinnescare 信管を取り除く 신관을 제거하다 išimti detonatorių noņemt [] detonatoru menanggalkan fius demonterenuskadeliggjøre, desarmererozbrajać بر طرف کول desactivar a dezamorsa снимать взрыватель zneškodniť odstraniti vžigalnik deaktivirati desarmera ปลดชนวนระเบิด etkisiz hale getirmek 去掉(炸彈等的)導火線 виймати запал; розряджати کسی بم وغیرہ کا فیوز الگ کرنا tháo ngòi nổ 去掉（炸弹等的）导火线

2. to make harmless or less dangerous. He succeeded in defusing the situation. onskadelik maak/ stel يُهَدِّئ، يُلَطِّف обезвреждам amenizar uklidnit, zmírnit entschärfen afdramatisere; afvæbne εκτονώνω, μειώνω την ένταση distender, calmar neutraliseerima بی خطر کردن؛ از وخامت کاستن tehdä vaarattomaksi désamorcer לְנַטרֵל कम खतरनाक या सामान्य बनाना, तनाव कम करना učiniti bezopasnim felold meredakan koma í veg fyrir, hindra sdrammatizzare 危機を緩和する (위험, 긴장을) 완화시키다 sušvelninti mazināt spriedzi/saspīlējumu meredakan bezwerenuskadeliggjøre, avdramatisere rozładowywać له خطر څخه ژغورل aliviar a dez­amorsa разрядить upokojiť odstraniti nevarnost smiriti oskadliggöra ทำให้มีอันตรายน้อยลง yatıştırmak 使變得無害，使緩和 згладжувати خطرہ یا ضرر کم کرنا làm lắng dịu 使变得无害，使缓和

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.