harmless

adjective

harm·​less ˈhärm-ləs 

1

: free from harm, liability, or loss

2

: lacking capacity or intent to injure : innocuous

a harmless joke

harmlessly adverb

harmlessness noun

Synonyms

• anodyne
• benign
• hurtless
• innocent
• innocuous
• inoffensive
• safe
• white

Examples of harmless in a Sentence

His ideas seem harmless enough.

We're just having a bit of harmless fun.

It was just a harmless joke.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jar Jar Binks Actor Reflects on Backlash to Phantom Menace: 'My Career Began and Ended' with Star Wars (Exclusive) Mr. Reed, Grant’s character in Heretic, appears to be harmless at first, welcoming two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into his home. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Microaggressions can seem harmless or minor, but can accumulate and cause significant stress or discomfort for the recipient. —Michaela Zee, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024

This condition is usually harmless and often gets better during puberty. —Brandi Jones, Msn-Ed, Health, 2 Nov. 2024

Halloween may be a time for ghouls, goblins, and harmless pranks, but in the digital landscape, there’s a new trick with devastating consequences. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

harmless

adjective

harm·​less ˈhärm-ləs 

1

: free from harm

2

: unable to harm

harmlessly adverb

harmlessness noun

Legal Definition

harmless

adjective

harm·​less

1

: free from harm, liability, or loss

—often used in the phrase to hold harmless see also hold harmless

2

: lacking capacity or intent to injure

harmlessly adverb

harmlessness noun