harmless

adjective

ˈhärm-ləs How to pronounce harmless (audio)
Definition of harmlessnext
as in benign
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt a perfectly harmless little spider

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harmless There were rattlesnakes and vipers in the rest of Canada, but no snakes here in except the harmless garter snake. — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026 Roughly 95% of people who undergo a full-body MRI will have at least one abnormal finding, and more than 90% of those findings are harmless cysts, nodules or other changes that don’t affect overall health. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026 More than 90% of those findings are harmless cysts, nodules or other changes that do not affect overall health. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026 The company has told the Federal Communications Commission that some debris from a disposed orbiting data center could survive and land on the Earth, but expects the fragments to be harmless. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harmless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmless
  1. benign
  2. safe
  3. innocent
  4. innocuous
  5. inoffensive
  6. healthy
Adjective
  • Then, findings are scored from 1 to 5 — 1 means a result is benign or normal, while 5 means something is emergent or critical.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Sep. 2026
  • And while Gen Z is bringing new expectations to the workplace, this benign habit could potentially impact their odds of landing a job.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of benign
Adjective
  • According to MoDOT, the full closure will allow construction to be completed quicker, safer and more cost-effectively than keeping lanes open.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, its 18-inch USB cable ensures a fast, stable connection while also being long enough to keep the HDD at a safe distance.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of safe
Adjective
  • Since then, Verity had been faking her vegetative state in order to … that part doesn’t entirely make sense, but the point is Lowen and Jeremy killed an innocent woman.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The suspects are innocent unless proven guilty by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Functional connectivity in the fetal brain develops substantially later in gestation, with measurable differences in brain activity and facial responses to noxious versus innocuous stimulation appearing at approximately 33 weeks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Most of them are fairly innocuous, such as controlling dark mode.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of innocuous
Adjective
  • We are born from the invention of the first inoffensive hair dye.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than evolve the rounded ones from the Bentayga, it's gone with a more inoffensive rectangular design, with slim daylight running lights at the top.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of inoffensive
Adjective
  • Award-winning chef Kai Mueller has created a large and unusual menu that leans into the location, with a much healthier twist (all dishes that are safe to have on the detox programme are clearly marked).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • An annual average can appear healthy while Tuesdays and softer months create the downside.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of healthy

Browse Nearby Words

harming
harmless
harmlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Harmless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmless. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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