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
Derived Forms
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.
That was actor Keanu Reeves’ answer to Colbert’s almost innocuous question: “What do you think happens to us when we die, Keanu Reeves?”
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
For Rebecca, something as innocuous as the school run can be fraught with anxiety.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
But, like OpenAI's goblin quirk, generative AI mistakes can sometimes be more bizarre and innocuous.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Quick cuts between Charlie, Mike and Rachel suggest their admissions are intense but relatively innocuous — things that can be laughed off and chalked up to childhood immaturity.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
And he could tell that this, as innocuous as it seemed, was an important situation.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
