do more harm than good
idiom
: be more harmful than helpful
He thinks the treatment may do more harm than good.
Examples of do more harm than good in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These flashy elements and gimmicks, intended to capture attention, frequently fail to improve usability and often do more harm than good by competing for user focus and complicating navigation.
—
Goran Paun, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
When life gets busy and handwashing dishes and kitchen utensils feels like too big of a chore, you may be tempted to slash your cleaning routine in half by tossing your wood cutting boards into a dishwasher—but this could actually do more harm than good.
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2024
Be mindful of relying on distractions that do more harm than good.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 13 Aug. 2024
Its popularity flourished during the pandemic when isolation and existential despair drove people to seek parenting advice from social media — fertile ground, according to the surgeon general advisory on parental stress, for influencers to spread advice that ultimately can do more harm than good.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for do more harm than good 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Goran Paun, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
When life gets busy and handwashing dishes and kitchen utensils feels like too big of a chore, you may be tempted to slash your cleaning routine in half by tossing your wood cutting boards into a dishwasher—but this could actually do more harm than good.
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2024
Be mindful of relying on distractions that do more harm than good.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 13 Aug. 2024
Its popularity flourished during the pandemic when isolation and existential despair drove people to seek parenting advice from social media — fertile ground, according to the surgeon general advisory on parental stress, for influencers to spread advice that ultimately can do more harm than good.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for do more harm than good
Dictionary Entries Near do more harm than good
Cite this Entry
“Do more harm than good.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20more%20harm%20than%20good. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share