Synonyms of harm

harm 1 of 2

noun

ˈhärm 

as in damage

something that causes loss or pain

you were lucky to survive the fire without harm

no harm in trying

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damage
• injury
• detriment
• hurt
• insult
• affront
• disservice
• injustice
• affliction
• impairment
• crippling
• wrong
• mutilation
• indignity
• disability
• mayhem
• outrage
• disfigurement
• wound
• beating
• dart
• lesion
• abrasion
• defacement
• rupture
• swelling
• offense
• burn
• disablement
• scar
• scratch
• bruise
• laceration
• contusion
• scald
• strain
• gash
• concussion
• scrape
• sear
• scathe
• bump
• boo-boo
• chafe
• cut

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovery
• healing
• remedy
• cure
• fix

harm

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to damage

to cause bodily damage to

though she wasn't harmed by the flying glass, she slipped and fell on a piece and cut her hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damage
• injure
• hurt
• wound
• bruise
• scar
• blow out
• tear
• bloody
• torture
• maim
• torment
• lacerate
• impair
• cripple
• afflict
• scald
• graze
• mutilate
• gore
• nick
• abuse
• batter
• scathe
• strain
• crease
• hamstring
• cut
• gash
• spoil
• contuse
• aggrieve
• mar
• lay up
• maltreat
• scrape
• mangle
• lame
• blemish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fix
• cure
• remedy
• heal
• mend

2

as in to injure

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

the company's reputation has been harmed by allegations of crooked accounting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damage
• injure
• mar
• hurt
• compromise
• cripple
• weaken
• impair
• spoil
• erode
• destroy
• break
• ruin
• flaw
• undermine
• disfigure
• cross (up)
• bloody
• vitiate
• deface
• blemish
• crab
• deteriorate
• wound
• shatter
• endamage
• tarnish
• batter
• wear (away)
• enfeeble
• wreck
• blight
• enervate
• devastate
• demolish
• wash out
• torture
• dent
• torment
• maim
• scour
• waste
• gum (up)
• ding
• annihilate
• smash
• botch
• mutilate
• disable
• crush
• wipe out
• decimate
• lacerate
• tear down
• hamstring
• total
• queer
• desolate
• dint
• scourge
• pulverize
• clobber
• mangle
• raze
• lame
• dash
• bash
• do in
• bang up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repair
• help
• rebuild
• fix
• patch
• heal
• cure
• reconstruct
• remedy
• mend
• rectify
• renovate
• rehabilitate
• revamp
• improve
• better
• enhance
• recondition
• doctor
• perfect
• revise
• ameliorate
• enrich
• edit
• remodel
• refine
• meliorate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word harm distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of harm are damage, hurt, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When might damage be a better fit than harm?

While the synonyms damage and harm are close in meaning, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When is it sensible to use hurt instead of harm?

The words hurt and harm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When would impair be a good substitute for harm?

The meanings of impair and harm largely overlap; however, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

In what contexts can injure take the place of harm?

The words injure and harm can be used in similar contexts, but injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When can mar be used instead of harm?

While in some cases nearly identical to harm, mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of harm

Noun

Many conventional sunscreens contain chemical UV filters that wash off into water and have been linked to coral bleaching and harm to marine ecosystems. — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

In a statement, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis did not directly address whether the administration is concerned about long-term harm to children and increased healthcare costs because of its immigration policies. — Claudia Boyd-Barrett, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

Huang Ling, spokeswoman for China’s Commerce Ministry, said in a news conference Thursday that the law not only harms the interests of Chinese businesses, but also hurt those of French consumers. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Those limits increase to $10,000 per violation and $100,000 combined if the violation harms someone who is 65 or older. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2026