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.
It all began with an innocuous video shared by Seattle resident Kiana Hall on Instagram.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Muir confesses that this feature of the market is overlooked by many market players, partly because it’s esoteric and seemingly innocuous.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
The space for connecting with certain international cultures has shrunk significantly, even when it comes to something relatively innocuous as embracing Western cultural exports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
The relatively innocuous nature of the incident shouldn’t greatly impact Branch’s draft status, according to team personnel executives interviewed by NFL Network.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
It couldn’t have been Lord Nugent’s words, which seemed to be innocuous; or was she missing what they meant?
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
