Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'defuse'

English Word: defuse

Key Russian Translations:

• обезвреживать [ɐbʲɪzˈvrʲeʐɪvətʲ] - [Formal, Often used for literal bomb defusal]
• разряжать [rɐzˈrʲaʐətʲ] - [Formal/Informal, Used for both literal and figurative contexts like tension]
• успокаивать [ʊspɐˈkoɪvətʲ] - [Informal, Primarily for calming situations or people]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in specific contexts like conflict resolution or technical fields)

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate; varies by context and translation)

Pronunciation (Russian):

обезвреживать: [ɐbʲɪzˈvrʲeʐɪvətʲ]

Note on обезвреживать: Stress falls on the third syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced fricative, distinct from English sounds.

разряжать: [rɐzˈrʲaʐətʲ]

Note on разряжать: Stress on the second syllable. The "р" is rolled slightly.

успокаивать: [ʊspɐˈkoɪvətʲ]

Note on успокаивать: Stress on the third syllable. The "у" is a short, rounded vowel.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Literal Meaning (to neutralize a bomb or explosive)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обезвреживать - Used in technical or military contexts for defusing explosives.
• разряжать - Can also refer to discharging or unloading a device.

Usage Examples:

• Сапёры смогли обезвредить бомбу до взрыва.

  The sappers managed to defuse the bomb before it exploded.

• Он разрядил старую мину, найденную в поле.

  He defused an old mine found in the field.

• Специалисты обезвредили устройство за считанные минуты.

  The specialists defused the device in a matter of minutes.

2. Figurative Meaning (to reduce tension or conflict)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разряжать - Commonly used for easing tense situations or atmospheres.
• успокаивать - Focuses on calming people or emotions in a conflict.

Usage Examples:

• Она разрядила обстановку шуткой.

  She defused the situation with a joke.

• Ему удалось успокоить спорящих коллег.

  He managed to defuse the argument among his colleagues.

• Мы пытались разрядить напряжение между сторонами.

  We tried to defuse the tension between the parties.

• Учитель успокоил разгорячённых учеников.

  The teacher defused the heated students.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

обезвреживать (verb, imperfective): Regular conjugation in present, past, and future tenses. Often paired with perfective form обезвредить for completed actions.

Person	Present Tense
Я (I)	обезвреживаю
Ты (You, singular)	обезвреживаешь
Он/Она/Оно (He/She/It)	обезвреживает

разряжать (verb, imperfective): Similar to обезвреживать, with perfective form разрядить.

успокаивать (verb, imperfective): Regular, with perfective form успокоить.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms (for figurative use):

• смягчать (to soften)
• урегулировать (to settle)

Note: смягчать often implies a gentler approach, while урегулировать is more formal and procedural.

Antonyms (for figurative use):

• обострять (to aggravate)
• накалять (to heat up)

Related Phrases:

• разрядить обстановку - to defuse the situation (often with humor or diplomacy)
• обезвредить угрозу - to defuse a threat (literal or figurative)
• успокоить нервы - to calm nerves (related to defusing emotional tension)

Usage Notes:

• Choose обезвреживать for technical contexts like bomb defusal; it is rarely used metaphorically.
• Use разряжать for both literal (e.g., unloading a weapon) and figurative (e.g., easing tension) meanings. It’s the most versatile translation.
• Opt for успокаивать when the focus is on calming people or emotions rather than a situation broadly.
• Be aware of aspect: imperfective verbs (listed above) describe ongoing actions, while perfective forms imply completion (e.g., обезвредить, разрядить).

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using обезвреживать in figurative contexts.

Incorrect: *Он обезвредил конфликт. (He defused the conflict.)

Correct: Он разрядил конфликт. (He defused the conflict.)

Explanation: обезвреживать is almost exclusively for physical threats like bombs, not abstract conflicts.

Error 2: Ignoring verb aspect.

Incorrect: *Я разряжаю ссору вчера. (I defuse the argument yesterday.)

Correct: Я разрядил ссору вчера. (I defused the argument yesterday.)

Explanation: Use perfective (разрядил) for completed past actions.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the concept of "defusing" a situation often carries a cultural emphasis on diplomacy and humor. Russians may value indirect methods (e.g., using a joke to разрядить обстановку) over confrontation when easing tensions, reflecting a cultural preference for harmony in social settings.

Related Concepts:

• конфликт (conflict)
• напряжение (tension)
• угроза (threat)