harm

1 of 2

noun

1
: physical or mental damage : injury
the amount of harm sustained by the boat during the storm
2
: mischief, hurt
I meant you no harm.

harm

2 of 2

verb

harmed; harming; harms

transitive verb

: to damage or injure physically or mentally : to cause harm (see harm entry 1) to
No animals were harmed in the making of the film.
the national interest … was gravely harmed by this attackElmer Davis
harmer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for harm

injure, harm, hurt, damage, impair, mar mean to affect injuriously.

injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Examples of harm in a Sentence

Noun They threatened him with bodily harm. The scandal has done irreparable harm to his reputation. She'll do anything to protect her children from harm. They have suffered serious physical harm. These new regulations could cause lasting harm to small businesses. Verb He would never intentionally harm his children. chemicals that could harm the environment The scandal has seriously harmed his reputation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
In the exposé, Rolling Stone balanced public interest versus potential harm by considering the sensitive details surrounding what was then unverified accusations. Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 While there is no categorical ban under international law, the use of nuclear weapons would be subject to international humanitarian law (IHL), which requires adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and necessity—especially regarding civilian harm. Hugh Cameron shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Verb
Carissa Véliz, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI, tells Rolling Stone that Taylor is far from an isolated example of chatbot users apparently being harmed by these products, citing a ongoing lawsuit against Character. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025 North America is by no means the only place where escalating disputes are harming international travel. Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for harm

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English hearm; akin to Old High German harm injury, Old Church Slavic sramŭ shame

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harm was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harm. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

harm

noun
ˈhärm
1
: physical or mental damage : injury
2
harm verb

Legal Definition

harm

noun
: loss of or damage to a person's right, property, or physical or mental well-being : injury
harm transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on harm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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