defanged

Stripped of bite

Defanged means having had the fangs removed, literally or figuratively.

A defanged snake poses less danger.

More often the word describes something stripped of its power or threat: The legislation was defanged by amendments, a defanged regulatory agency.

The implication is that what remains looks similar but can no longer bite.

weakened

harmless

Causing no injury

tame · impotent · emasculated · diluted · mitigated · subdued · muted · diminished · softened · mellowed

neutralized

deactivated

Rendered inoperative

sanitized · stripped · undermined · suppressed · contained · restrained · curbed · controlled · blocked · filtered

powerless

ineffective

Lacking power to achieve

vulnerable · enfeebled · debilitated · hamstrung · hobbled · crippled · incapacitated · sidelined · marginalized · outmaneuvered

safe

nonthreatening

Causing no alarm

docile · domesticated · tamed · mild · inoffensive · manageable · controllable · contained · protected · shielded

Categories
Opposites
threat capacity

defangedthreatening

Expressing intent to harm

dangerous · venomous · fanged · deadly · lethal

power/potency

defangedpotent

Having great effect

empowered · powerful · strengthened · forceful · effective

Family

defang, defangs, defanging

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G