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
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.
“Send an innocuous text, and if they are interested, they will respond and put a bit of effort into the response,” she says.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Something as innocuous as filling in a survey at school "changed the course" of Emily Mapley's life after her family was made homeless when she was 13.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
In CTU’s telling, the “finalization” of the audits was “delayed for innocuous reasons,” including Covid and staff turnover.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
That 1% seems innocuous, but September is the weakest month because so many more serious pullbacks happen then.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
It wasn’t far from campus, and it seemed like an innocuous enough destination for cheap food and a little change of scenery.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
