not hurt a fly

Idioms  

1. Also, not hurt a flea. Not cause harm to anyone, be gentle and mild, as in Paul's the kindest man—he wouldn't hurt a flea, or Bert has a temper but it's all talk; he wouldn't hurt a fly. Both fly and flea are used in the sense of “a small insignificant animal.” [Early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

not hurt a fly

These gestures of gallantry, this attunement to the sweet and fatal charms of women, this radical compassion, are Tristram’s inheritance from his uncle, the man who would not hurt a fly:

From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2016

Absolutely, take away dangerous items and instead populate the floor with soft, squishy balls that could not hurt a fly.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 9, 2014

It is a face of child-like innocence, a young woman who would not hurt a fly.

From BBC ● May 6, 2013

It was said that these lost girls were sweet as honey and would not hurt a fly.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

"You see," continued Mr. Juxon, "he is as quiet as a lamb—would not hurt a fly!"

From A Tale of a Lonely Parish by Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)