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to unreserve

to unreserve

8.1
Make someone more open and willing to talk to others
  • verb
  • /ˌʌn.rɪˈzɝːv/
translation icon : desinhibir
  • A warm welcome can quickly unreserve even the shyest guest.

Examples

  • The friendly atmosphere helped unreserve the new students during orientation.

  • The therapist encouraged him to unreserve his feelings.

  • Her gentle questions began to unreserve him, and he told the full story.

  • Can you unreserve your comments for a moment?

  • The supportive environment helped unreserve the press shy team member during the meeting.

  • Her kind words seemed to unreserve him, allowing him to share his thoughts freely.

  • After spending time with friends, he felt it easier to unreserve and express his true feelings.

Synonyms

to unbend
vsto unreserve
1 5.6

Relax and become less tense or formal

makes someone more open in speech and behaviour rather than just relaxed
to unpucker
vsto unreserve
  • Informal
7.6

Make a tense person or situation feel more relaxed

creates openness in speech and behaviour instead of merely reducing tension

How Open

to open up
  • Informal
149 2.9
to loosen up
  • Informal
31 3.4
to unreserve
8.1
to encourage
2.3
to nudge
24 4.1
to prompt
217 3.6

Surface Forms

unreserve infinitive
unreserved past
unreserved past participle
unreserving present participle
unreserves third person singular

Morphology

unreserve = reserve (transparent) = un + reserve

The prefix 'un-' negates or undoes the notion of 'reserve' (restraint), so 'unreserve' meaning 'make less reserved' follows a clear lexical negation.

Etymology

Unreserve as a verb meaning to make someone more open comes from un- 'make not' and reserve 'to hold back'. To unreserve someone is to help them stop holding back and become more open.