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

• benign
• safe
• innocent
• innocuous
• inoffensive
• healthy

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

As kobolds go, Heinzelmann was more harmless than most, going about his business protecting the castle from giants and dwarves and keeping the staff updated on faerie gossip, as well as protecting the chambermaids from unwelcome attentions from visiting noblemen. —Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025

Scherzer has a rare but harmless genetic eye condition where one eye is brown and the other is blue, and his stare can pierce you. —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2025

Though harmless in this instance, the event highlighted growing concerns about unidentified objects entering Earth’s atmosphere, particularly over major urban centers. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Most chest fullness in men is harmless, but certain warning signs should never be ignored. —Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 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