harmless
4 synonyms and 1 antonym for harmless, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Not capable of causing injury or harm; safe.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use harmless
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
harmless fun
perfectly harmless
harmless joke
Etymology
From Old English hearmlēas, built from harm plus the suffix -less ("without"). The German cousin harmlos means the same thing.
Full origin of harmless →Frequently asked questions
What does “harmless” mean?
The word “harmless” means not capable of causing injury or harm; safe. In plain terms, something that won't hurt you or cause damage.
How do you pronounce “harmless”?
“Harmless” is pronounced HAHM-luhs (/ˈhɑɹmləs/ in IPA).
How do you use “harmless” in a sentence?
Here is “harmless” used in a sentence: “The spider looks scary but it's completely harmless.”
What part of speech is “harmless”?
“Harmless” is an adjective.
Where does the word “harmless” come from?
The word “harmless” comes from Old English. From Old English hearmlēas, built from harm plus the suffix -less ("without"). The German cousin harmlos means the same thing.
Is “harmless” a common word?
“Harmless” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “harmless” have?
“Harmless” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: not capable of causing injury or harm; safe.
What is the difference between harmless and safe?
Harmless specifically means not capable of causing injury or harm, focusing on the absence of danger from a particular thing, while safe is broader and can describe an overall state of security or protection from risk generally. Something can be described as harmless in one specific respect while other safety concerns still apply.
What is the difference between harmless and innocent?
Harmless describes something not capable of causing injury, or a remark not meant to hurt or offend, while innocent describes a lack of guilt or wrongdoing. A harmless joke isn't meant to offend, but calling it innocent would instead focus on the intent behind it being free of malice.
How is "harmless" used to describe comments or jokes?
When applied to comments or jokes, harmless means the remark was not meant to hurt or offend anyone, even if it could be misread. People often say "it was meant to be harmless" to clarify that no offense was intended.
