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Showing results for harmless. Search instead for harmfulness.
Synonyms

harmless

American  
[hahrm-lis] / ˈhɑrm lɪs /

adjective

  1. without the power or desire to do harm; innocuous.

    He looks mean but he's harmless; a harmless Halloween prank.

    Synonyms:
    benign, unobjectionable, innocent, mild, inoffensive
  2. without injury; unhurt; unharmed.


idioms

  1. hold harmless, to relieve from responsibility or liability for any damage or loss. Also save harmless.

harmless British  
/ ˈhɑːmlɪs /

adjective

  1. not causing any physical or mental damage or injury

  2. unlikely to annoy or worry people

    a harmless sort of man

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • harmlessly adverb
  • harmlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of harmless

1250–1300; Middle English; harm, -less

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.

The language appears modern and perhaps even harmless, but it isn’t.

From The Wall Street Journal

Adding a log to a glowing fireplace on a cold winter night often feels comforting and harmless.

From Science Daily

Most are harmless, but certain species can cause severe and sometimes fatal disease.

From Science Daily

It is harmless, painless and does not affect vision.

From BBC

Through the house’s 20 windows, she noted, all she ever saw was “a man who is living a quiet, harmless, simple and respectful life.”

From The Wall Street Journal