Literary notes about reassuring (AI summary)
In literature, "reassuring" is used to evoke a sense of comfort and security through both physical gestures and the tone of communication. It can imply a gentle, wordless assurance, such as a soothing clasp or a supportive tap that speaks louder than words [1][2]. At times, it characterizes voices, smiles, and even the ambiance of scenes, offering an emotional anchor amidst fear or uncertainty [3][4][5]. Conversely, the term can carry a subtle irony when used to describe situations or details that, despite their outward calm, hint at underlying tension or potential menace [6][7]. Thus, the word operative in these contexts becomes a versatile descriptor, capable of softening interactions while also highlighting the fragility of emotional security [8][9].
- From time to time her fingers tightened upon his in a reassuring clasp that took the place of words.
— from Flower of the Dusk by Myrtle Reed - Besides...." She slipped her arm through mine and gave me a reassuring pressure.
— from My Actor-Husband: A true story of American stage life by Anonymous - CHAPTER XXIV IN THE MOONLIGHT With a reassuring smile the visitor from Washington looked at Tom Swift.
— from Tom Swift and His Air Scout; Or, Uncle Sam's Mastery of the Sky by Victor Appleton - He said it in a kind, reassuring voice, and I knew that I was in the home of friends, and need no longer keep alert and watchful and fearful.
— from The Lost Cabin Mine by Frederick Niven - The very feel of her hand, even through its glove, was reassuring; it was the sort of hand, he thought, that children would like to hold in the dark.
— from The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim - The tableau that met his eyes, however, was not reassuring.
— from The Prophet of Berkeley Square by Robert Hichens - She had glanced at the waters under the cliff, and their crystal depths were not at all reassuring.
— from As It Was in the Beginning by Philip Verrill Mighels - This was a delightfully reassuring idea supposing that Lydgate died, but in the mean time not a self-supporting idea.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - They expected swift retribution for their intended fratricide, but instead of this they heard reassuring words from his lips.
— from American Hero-Myths: A Study in the Native Religions of the Western Continent by Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison) Brinton
