Karate is an art of unarmed defense.
Source: tatoeba (18180)
Unarmed
/ˌʌnˈɑɹmd/
Synonyms for "unarmed" (41 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (9)
Noun(1 words)
bare hands
Adjective(3 words)
Strong matches (12)
Related words (20)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: bare handed, bare hands, bare-handed, barehanded, clean.
- Sentence evidence is available for unarmed, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "unarmed".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "unarmed"
Keep "unarmed" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "unarmed" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "unarmed", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "unarmed" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesarmament statuscombat category
More specific
4 entriesunarmed civilianunarmed combatunarmed drillunarmed fighter
Collocations
6 entriesunarmed civilianunarmed combatunarmed conflictunarmed defenseunarmed drillunarmed status
Inflections
2 entriesmore unarmedmost unarmed
Derivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
7 entriesTranslations
49 translations across 32 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἄοπλος adj (lacking weapons)
Arabic
1 entries- أَعْزَل adj (lacking weapons)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- əliyalın adj (lacking weapons)
Belarusian
2 entries- бяззбро́йны adj (lacking weapons)
- няўзбро́ены adj (lacking weapons)
Bulgarian
1 entries- невъоръже́н adj (lacking weapons)
Catalan
1 entries- desarmat adj (lacking weapons)
Czech
1 entries- neozbrojený adj (lacking weapons)
Danish
1 entries- ubevæpnet adj (lacking weapons)
Dutch
1 entries- ongewapend adj (lacking weapons)
Finnish
2 entries- aseeton adj (lacking weapons)
- aseistamaton adj (lacking weapons)
French
2 entries- non armé adj (lacking weapons)
- sans armes adj (lacking weapons)
German
1 entries- unbewaffnet adj (lacking weapons)
Hindi
2 entries- निहत्था adj (lacking weapons)
- शस्त्रहीन adj (lacking weapons)
Hungarian
1 entries- fegyvertelen adj (lacking weapons)
Italian
2 entries- indifeso adj (lacking weapons)
- inerme adj (lacking weapons)
Latin
1 entries- inermis adj (lacking weapons)
Lithuanian
1 entries- beginklis adj (lacking weapons)
Macedonian
2 entries- невооружен adj (lacking weapons)
- ненаоружан adj (lacking weapons)
Manx
3 entries- gyn arm adj (lacking weapons)
- neuarmit adj (lacking weapons)
- neueillit adj (lacking weapons)
Māori
1 entries- ringakore adj (lacking weapons)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- ubevæpna adj (lacking weapons)
- ubevæpnet adj (lacking weapons)
Old English
2 entries- unġewǣpnod adj (lacking weapons)
- wǣpnlēas adj (lacking weapons)
Polish
2 entries- bezorężny adj (lacking weapons)
- nieuzbrojony adj (lacking weapons)
Portuguese
1 entries- desarmado adj (lacking weapons)
Russian
2 entries- безору́жный adj (lacking weapons)
- невооружённый adj (lacking weapons)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- nȅnaoružān adj (lacking weapons)
- не̏наоружа̄н adj (lacking weapons)
Slovak
1 entries- neozbrojený adj (lacking weapons)
Slovene
1 entries- neoborožen adj (lacking weapons)
Swedish
1 entries- obeväpnad adj (lacking weapons)
Ukrainian
2 entries- беззбро́йний adj (lacking weapons)
- неозбро́єний adj (lacking weapons)
Urdu
2 entries- نِہَتّا adj (lacking weapons)
- نِہَتّی adj (lacking weapons)
Welsh
3 entries- anarfog adj (lacking weapons)
- di-arf adj (lacking weapons)
- diarfau adj (lacking weapons)
Sample sentences
12 total sentences available.
Larger pirates often preyed on unarmed merchant ships.
Source: tatoeba (22161)
The soldier disdained shooting an unarmed enemy.
Source: tatoeba (44105)
I'm not going to get into a battle of wits with you; I never attack anyone who's unarmed.
Source: tatoeba (437804)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "unarmed"?
Closest matches include bare handed, bare hands, bare-handed, barehanded, clean.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "unarmed"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.