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

His execution of signature moves like the Spear and Jackhammer often lacked the necessary finesse to protect his opponents from harm. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025

The public interest demands protecting against harms of this magnitude. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025

Verb

The Anti-Terrorism Act For more than three decades since Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 1992, U.S. citizens harmed by acts of terrorism have had the option to sue the terrorist groups responsible. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025

This technique involves flushing a shark’s stomach with water to retrieve its contents without harming the animal. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for harm

• arm
• charm
• farm
• alarm
• disarm
• forearm
• gendarme
• nonfarm
• rearm
• firearm
• underarm

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