1
as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gentle
not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect
basking under a benign sun on a day in early spring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of benign
Some of the entries in the collection, which was released by a House committee on Monday, are strictly well wishes, congratulations and benign birthday messages.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Because Americans often changed locations, moving around the country, it was once considered a benign conversation opener.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Their experiments showed that certain combinations – like a benign image paired with a harmful question – could slip past the model’s safety filters.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
Bleeding after running is not to be considered normal or benign and someone experiencing it should seek medical attention.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benign
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Because Americans often changed locations, moving around the country, it was once considered a benign conversation opener.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Their experiments showed that certain combinations – like a benign image paired with a harmful question – could slip past the model’s safety filters.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
Bleeding after running is not to be considered normal or benign and someone experiencing it should seek medical attention.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benign
Adjective
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Beet juice may cause pink urine or red stool, which is harmless.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
12 Sep. 2025
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For every community of mass-shooter fandoms, there is another that is silly, joyous, productive, or totally harmless.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Make sure to choose the cool water setting and a low-spin or gentle wash cycle, and add in gentle laundry detergent according to the load size on your machine.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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More serious collectors may prefer waddling to the local Cars & Coffee with an earlier VW, recalling a kinder, gentler, and far slower-paced time than our present age.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Financial reports, client data, or confidential business information can be uploaded in ways that sidestep official security and AI policies, often neutralizing safeguards intended to keep information safe.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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New technology can solve crimes faster, safer, and less expensively than ever before.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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They’re placed on or next to the body and struck with a mallet to release a calming vibration and mellifluous tone that eases muscles, sparking an immediately soothing effect on the nervous system and improving synaptic responses in the brain.—
Terry Elward,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Whatever the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or something else entirely—the familiarity of these motions can have a soothing effect, calming the player’s nerves before a big shot.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Traditional shades of red and green remain present, but they’re joined by bubble gum pink and soft blue for a more eclectic palette.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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Tejasvi designed it with large-font type to make text easier to see and read, and a soft, blue theme intended to be soothing to people who may come to the site fresh from a scam and be fearful or frazzled.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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LaViola agrees, adding that the mild climate and general friendly atmosphere of the Raleigh-Durham area are also desirable factors.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
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This can pick up some milder forms of cognitive impairment but again is not a fully, extensive assessment.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Get the recipe > The mellow sweetness of summer corn and lobster meat harmonize beautifully in this ultimate summer soup.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
4 Sep. 2025
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Casting the sweet-faced and unflappably mellow Dano — Eli Sunday his Vadim Baranov is not — as Putin’s kingmaker also assures that Assayas isn’t keen on high drama, with conversations in conference rooms plotting totalitarian takeover rarely rising above library-voice level.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Benign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benign. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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