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I know some words like unclothe and disrobe but these verbs refer to taking clothes off, I'm looking for a more accurate verb antonym of the verb equip, meaning taking weapons off.

More Context

In a video game, imagine you equip your agent with firearms and send him/her for a duel, after fight finished, her/his weapon may run out of bullets and will be automatically ______.
I need to inform the gamer that his/her agent is ______ and needs to be equipped again before any other gamer attacks you.

Reyraa
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    If you are talking about weapons, the verb disarm is often used to mean "remove weapons from [someone else]." If the person is taking off his or her own weapon, you might say "removing [one's] knife/pistol/whatever and putting it down [somewhere]." – Sven Yargs Jan 07 '16 at 06:52
  • @SvenYargs the Remove verb causes doubt that is it removed entirely from inventories (needs to buy it again) or only unequipped (only needs to equip it again after the weapon cooled down) – Reyraa Jan 07 '16 at 06:57
  • I'll note that a more specific word than equip for referring specifically to equipping a weapon would be wield. So an antonym for wield might be a suitable answer to this question as well. – Dan Henderson Jan 07 '16 at 17:48
  • Holster and Unholster comes to mind. – MonkeyZeus Jan 07 '16 at 18:00
  • @DanHenderson I feel like wielding a weapon is what you do after you have equipped it :) – Lagerbaer Jan 07 '16 at 22:15
  • Based on the large number of responses that all seem perfectly valid, I'm going to need to know the context; I know personally I would never say "equip" outside of a video game context. – SomethingDark Jan 07 '16 at 22:30
  • Dequip, obviously. – Joe Jan 08 '16 at 00:56
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    @SomethingDark Thank you all for your kind help. I've added more details about the situation. Hope it clears the right answer – Reyraa Jan 08 '16 at 05:48
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    You can't make such a radical edit like that. It practically invalidates SomethingDark's answer. Now your question contains the word "unequipped", any visitor who sees that question and then reads the top (and accepted) answer is going to ask themself, why did that user repeat the same word used in OP. A similar edit should have been done much earlier on, because it gives CONTEXT and helps users provide the answer you need. Please replace the term unequipped with a blank space e.g. ....run out of bullets and will be automatically _______. I need to... – Mari-Lou A Jan 08 '16 at 07:46
  • @Mari-LouA Thanks, you are perfectly right. – Reyraa Jan 08 '16 at 09:26
  • Why does this even need to be said? If you run out of bullets, your gun doesn't disappear from your hand, does it? In this duel, if you start with 10 bullets, and use 9, you remain equipped, right? If you use 10 bullets does the God Of The Game remove it from you? Why? If this routinely happens (that a gun is wrenched from your hands when it runs out of ammo) then you hardly need to state it at this particular point. – Nick Gammon Jan 09 '16 at 08:29
  • @NickGammon I need to inform the gamer in logs list. Besides, I am developer and this is the designer's decision to make :) – Reyraa Jan 09 '16 at 08:35

9 Answers9

41

Video games usually say unequip.

unequip (v) - 1. To remove equipment. 2. (video games) In role-playing video games, to deactivate an item being carried by a player.

SomethingDark
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  • Thanks. I've seen its usage as an adjective, but does it work as verb too? isn't it bad formed? – Reyraa Jan 07 '16 at 06:14
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    @alihaghighatkhah - it definitely works as a verb as well, I just can't find a good source other than "I'm a native English speaker." – SomethingDark Jan 07 '16 at 06:23
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    +1. No dictionary hits for unequip, but it would be recognised by the majority of native English speakers, especially gamers of any kind. – AndyT Jan 07 '16 at 09:06
  • Weapons can also be "unwield" since you "wield" weapons. Armour you usually "wear" and "remove" – Tim B Jan 07 '16 at 17:26
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    In a gaming context I always simply used "remove". It clearly makes sense for items that would be equipped by being worn, and worked well enough for weapons that might be in different places (in hand, on back, in holster, etc.) depending on state of use too. – R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE Jan 07 '16 at 19:49
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    Aren't we supposed to downvote made-up words? Why is this both the most popular and the accepted answer? – talrnu Jan 07 '16 at 22:25
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    @talrnu The link in the answer lists "unequipped", if not "unequip". Surely one implies the other. – DCShannon Jan 08 '16 at 00:19
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    @talrnu "made-up words" means words that the answerer made up. – NobodyNada Jan 08 '16 at 05:34
  • @talrnu: English in comparison to German sparsely forms new words, but un- is a common prefix. I'd hesitate to call the result "made up" if it follows common language rules. Another example in this grey area is the result of verbing nouns. – MSalters Jan 08 '16 at 09:16
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    This normally applies to the person, not the equipment. A typical usage such as 'Bob was unequipped for the trip as he lacked a life jacket' does not mean someone put Bob in the cupboard. – Pete Kirkham Jan 08 '16 at 12:44
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    I say "made up" to say "not defined in a popular reference". There is no verb "unequip" so defined, so technically yes, this answer is made up. I'm with JEL in that there ought not be any hard and fast rules for things like this, I'm just marveling at how often I see decent or even good responses to a question downvoted on this site because they are "made up", i.e. they aren't backed up by good references or data, making them "bad answers". – talrnu Jan 08 '16 at 14:00
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    @JEL - I was under the impression that Wiktionary references were frowned upon, but if I am mistaken I'll gladly add your link to the answer. – SomethingDark Jan 08 '16 at 14:41
  • @SomethingDark, see What is the best source.... I'm sure you can find multiple people here to disdain any external reference, but my own take is that all external references are "for what it's worth" and "buyer beware". – JEL Jan 08 '16 at 19:01
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    @talrnu - This is more than just a made-up word, it appears to be a commonly-used word in this context. That probably explains the high number of upvotes. – J.R. Jan 08 '16 at 21:21
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Disarm

verb (used with object)

to deprive of a weapon or weapons.

verb (used without object)

to lay down one's weapons.

Community
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CDM
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    Note that disarm can and often will be used to mean removing the equipment from someone else. "She disarmed him." – SuperBiasedMan Jan 07 '16 at 11:43
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    Based on OP's description of "taking weapons off" I think that Disarm is the most appropriate. Before entering through the security checkpoint, the Hitman disarmed himself. – MonkeyZeus Jan 07 '16 at 18:03
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If the weapon currently being equipped is being returned to a holder that the individual is wearing, then depending on the weapon type we have a few choices:

  • If it's a firearm you would holster it.
  • If it's a blade, then you'd sheathe it.

If you're putting it into a more general storage location, such as a backpack, then you could be said to stow it.

If you're simply dropping it to the ground, well, I'd say drop is as good a word as any.

Dan Henderson
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    Holster and sheathe would be the opposite of 'draw', not equip. You would need to have the weapon equipped to do any of those things. – DCShannon Jan 08 '16 at 00:17
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Consider, unarm

To divest of armor or arms; disarm.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition

Elian
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Although rare, 'disequip' is a good transitive and intransitive verb with the meaning you intend:

diseˈquip, v.
rare.
trans. To divest (any one) of his equipment; intr. (for refl.) to doff one's equipment.
1831 F. A. Kemble Jrnl. in Rec. Girlhood (1878) III. 23 [He] arrived just as we had disequipped.

["diseˈquip, v.". OED Online. December 2015. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/54283?rskey=BNKRlP&result=1&isAdvanced=false (accessed January 07, 2016).]

This verb is admirably suited for a 'disrarity' upon frequent use by gamers.

Some 'Dis'ambiguation and Other Notes in Response to OP Edits, Etc.

I used 'dis'ambiguation rather than 'un'ambiguation in the heading because I'm, most precisely, taking the ambiguity away rather than negating it. That's the difference between 'dis-' and 'un-'.

  1. If by "more accurate" you mean 'more commonly used in a given context', then 'disequip' might not the word for you; in the language of gamers, 'unequip' is by far the most commonly used word for the sense you describe, at least for the time being.

  2. If by "more accurate" you mean 'better suited to and more expressive of the concept intended', then 'disequip' might be the most accurate word to use, or perhaps 'deactivate', as shown next.

A commonly used verb, and accurate for the sense I understand you to intend, is 'deactivate':

trans. To render inactive ....

(op. cit.)

JEL
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    I'd argue that 'good' and 'rare' here are not totally compatible. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 07 '16 at 09:33
  • Which is the more correct form: unequip as @somethingdark said or disequip as you said? – Reyraa Jan 07 '16 at 20:45
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    @alihaghighatkhah As a native english speaker, I unequip relatively frequently. I have never heard disequip. I would use unequip. – S. Buda Jan 07 '16 at 21:58
  • @alihaghighatkhah, as an expert on the uses and abuses of English words, I know that 'unequip' is the wrong form. That prefix, 'un-' doesn't carry the meaning you describe. The prefix 'dis-' does. Why use an inept contrived word when an existing apt word will do? – JEL Jan 08 '16 at 06:19
  • @EdwinAshworth, I wouldn't argue that. – JEL Jan 08 '16 at 07:12
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    @JEL It's generally a good idea to use an "inept contrived" word over an existing apt word when it's far more commonly used and understood. Just because disequip technically exists and dis- is technically a better suited prefix doesn't mean you should use it, because that's now how language works. Disequip gives 1 600 hits on google, unequip gives 376 000. Seems like disequip will be a pretty ostentatious choice in this case. – Tobberoth Jan 08 '16 at 07:40
  • @Tobberoth, you've mastered the 374,400 flies argument, but I don't agree. No matter how many people use the wrong word, it's still the wrong word. Meaning, and language, is not the democracy you'd like it to be. As for what word the OP should use, surely you should leave that decision to the OP? – JEL Jan 08 '16 at 07:58
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    @JEL Meaning and language is exactly a "democracy" as you aptly put it. This is why there are exceptions in languages. As much as linguists love to put clear rules and perfectly define meanings, it's completely unrealistic because languages evolve with no concern of their efforts. If everyone today decided that "duck" from now on means "fish", that's what it will mean, etymology be damned. Take the word "awful" which used to mean "full of awe" in a positive sense, are you going to claim people who use awful in a negative sense are using the wrong word? Of course not. – Tobberoth Jan 08 '16 at 12:00
  • @Tobberoth, of course language is not a democracy, no matter how you want to redefine democracy. The OP asked for a "more accurate" verb, not the commonly used one which, as it happens, is inaccurate, clumsy and misleading. I have a perverse habit of answering the question asked, not the one other people wish had been asked. – JEL Jan 08 '16 at 19:12
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Strip works too. You can strip someone of a thing.

Lightness Races in Orbit
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If there was an antonym, it would be "strip"

Robbie Goodwin
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Pillaged, looted, stripped. There could be degrees of lack.

Draco Freon
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  • Welcome to EL&U. Your answer was flagged for its length and content. It is not encouraged to post an answer without any research/reference/link that can support it. Please edit your answer after taking the tour and visiting our help center for additional guidance. –  Jan 08 '16 at 07:16
  • Please don't give multiple options without giving a way for the asker to discern between them. – Matt E. Эллен Jan 13 '16 at 09:44
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I don't think it's a real word, but "dequip" comes to mind...

Greg Brown
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  • This is an unhelpful answer. There are two reasons. 1. The answer states that dequip might not be a commonly understood word. 2. The answer doesn't explain anything about how to use the word. Given 1. that makes 2. very important. 1. is bad because the answer should address the question for people who don't know the answer and this answer implies that the word shouldn't be used, because dequip might not be a word people know, while also implying that the word should be used because it is posted as an answer. – Matt E. Эллен Jan 14 '16 at 12:21