harmless
Americanadjective
-
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
-
without injury; unhurt; unharmed.
idioms
adjective
-
not causing any physical or mental damage or injury
-
unlikely to annoy or worry people
a harmless sort of man
Other Word Forms
- harmlessly adverb
- harmlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of harmless
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.
This means they help the immune system distinguish between harmful threats and harmless targets, preventing unnecessary attacks on the body's own cells, helpful microbes, and everyday foods.
From Science Daily
Those who are supportive of or indifferent to the Fed’s large-balance-sheet policy argue it’s inevitable and inoffensive—a harmless consequence of changes in the financial plumbing since the 2008 panic.
The woman looked harmless, but one time she caught Albert Bowie making faces behind her back during class.
From Literature
That antigen was inserted into a harmless, non-replicating adenovirus, which serves as a delivery system for the vaccine.
From Science Daily
The appellate court found that the prosecution failed to meet its burden to demonstrate, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the constitutional error was harmless.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
