innocuous
Americanadjective
-
not harmful or injurious; harmless.
an innocuous home remedy.
-
not likely to irritate or offend; inoffensive; an innocuous remark.
-
not interesting, stimulating, or significant; pallid; insipid.
an innocuous novel.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- innocuity noun
- innocuously adverb
- innocuousness noun
- uninnocuous adjective
- uninnocuously adverb
- uninnocuousness noun
Etymology
Origin of innocuous
From the Latin word innocuus, dating back to 1590–1600. See in- 3, nocuous
Explanation
Something that's innocuous isn't harmful or likely to cause injury. Public figures like mayors and governors have to expect they'll get critical or even hurtful emails and phone calls, as well as more innocuous feedback. The adjective innocuous is useful when you're talking about something that doesn't offend or injure anyone. Innocuous remarks or comments are meant kindly, and innocuous germs won't make you sick. An innocuous question is innocently curious, rather than aimed to hurt someone's feelings. The word comes from the Latin roots in-, "not," and nocere, "to injure or harm."
Vocabulary lists containing innocuous
Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites
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Negatives with "in"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Never mind that this makes no sense, that no human has ever hated something as sweet and totally innocuous as a memorial.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
Unexplained absences can be an early sign of political trouble in China, though officials are known to have missed engagements for innocuous reasons such as illness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026
It seemed innocuous enough, with a running total of revenues from a couple of seasons in the 1970s.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
The research suggests, therefore, layoffs might have been driven by more disturbing factors rather than the innocuous justifications proffered by chief executives.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025
Informal and innocuous letters, including a few from Madoc.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
