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 of harmless

• 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

While gas itself is common and usually harmless, ongoing bloating or discomfort may be a sign your gut needs more time to adjust. —Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 16 Feb. 2026

At first, the threat appears harmless because it is disguised as a fake antivirus app. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026

While most species are harmless, there is a subset that can have serious public health consequences, like Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba. —Devika Rao, TheWeek, 11 Feb. 2026

The results, published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, came from the researchers using the body’s immune response to cytomegalovirus, or CMV, a common but typically harmless virus. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th 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