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

The Northern Lights in Mexico that trended on social media were technically harmless — but if an even more powerful storm strikes, pictures of the mesmerizing aurora may struggle to make it to the internet. —Tom Brown, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Compared to other insects, most ants are harmless, Hayes said, adding that, unlike mosquitoes, ants do not carry diseases that can infect humans. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2025

There are hundreds of filters on TikTok, and many are harmless—for example, adding bunny ears or a dog nose to a face. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025

Otherwise, the brain has to learn when typically scary stimuli are harmless and can be ignored. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025

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