harm

1 of 2

noun

ˈhärm 

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 attack

—Elmer Davis

harmer noun

Synonyms

Noun

• affliction
• damage
• detriment
• hurt
• injury

Verb

• damage
• hurt
• injure
• wound

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

Noun

All of these shifts, in turn, have led some observers and regulators to prioritize harm avoidance over unfettered expression. —Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

The accounts of organizations promoting drug harm reduction and social media personalities who post content about drugs and psychedelics, but who do not sell them, are being caught in the crossfire of efforts to get a grip on the issue. —Mattha Busby, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024

Verb

This disconnect often harmed workflows, which slowed down the building process and made the result hard to use. —Goran Paun, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

The judges stuck with traditional – and sturdy - arguments While regulators, particularly in the federal case, made a point of saying the merger could harm workers’ bargaining power, experts said the judges didn’t really address those concerns in their rulings. —Alexander Coolidge, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing harm

• do more harm than good
• harm's way
• no harm done
• self-harm

Kids Definition

harm

noun

ˈhärm

1

: physical or mental damage : injury

2

: mischief sense 3, hurt

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