harmless

[hahrm-lis] / ˈhɑrm lɪs /

ADJECTIVE

not injurious or dangerous

Synonyms

STRONGEST

gentle innocent innocuous inoffensive naive nontoxic painless powerless simple

WEAK

controllable disarmed guiltless hurtless innoxious inoperative kind manageable nonirritating paper-tiger reliable safe sanitary soft softie sound sure trustworthy unobjectionable unoffensive

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bad damaging experienced harmful strong

WEAK

destructive evil hurtful injurious sinful wicked

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kieron Sharp, chairman of FACT, said illegal streaming was "not a harmless shortcut".

From BBC • May 23, 2026

This does not mean pretending $100-plus oil is harmless.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

In almost all cases, it’s harmless — as much as brainrot can be harmless, I suppose.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

Most amoebae are harmless and play a role in natural ecosystems.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

She doesn't ask to see it; she laughs like it's a harmless joke—like I'm supposed to be in on the joke.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman