1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

nonthreatening

adjective

Definition of nonthreateningnext
as in healthy
not likely to cause someone to be afraid or worried; not threatening It's best to approach the dog in a calm, nonthreatening way.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 nonthreatening These feel natural and nonthreatening but still move the conversation forward. — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 That last one may simply be unique to Logan Lerman, the latest nonthreatening boy to take center stage in HAIM’s new album rollout. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025 Her previous recipes have included homemade marmalade, ratatouille, pasta from scratch, and tzatziki dip, which all sound lovely and nonthreatening. — Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023 Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way. — Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022 See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonthreatening
  1. healthy
  2. harmless
  3. benign
  4. unobjectionable
  5. inoffensive
  6. innocuous
  7. painless
  8. safe
Adjective
  • That breadth matters because a healthy theater community needs places where smaller companies don’t carry the price or expectations of Broadway shows.
    — Brian Beirne, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers believe this national longevity is likely linked to low rates of obesity, healthy diets, widespread health screenings and affordable health care, which lead to lower mortality rates from heart disease and cancer.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of healthy
Adjective
  • Do not ignore a small charge simply because the amount looks harmless.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, even household staples that seem harmless can cause damage when misused.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of harmless
Adjective
  • There have been rare cases of cells turning pre-cancerous, with one severe case triggering a squamous cell carcinoma, though erythema ab igne is typically regarded as a benign condition.
    — Mike McRae September 09, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The rare but benign condition impacted her balance and caused headaches.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of benign
Adjective
  • On its face, Barker said much of the advice sounds unobjectionable.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Such qualities might be unobjectionable, even desirable, in and of themselves, but their ubiquitous appearance across the internet has turned them into instant design clichés.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
Definition of unobjectionable
Adjective
  • And on social media, videos show a range of other unwanted recordings, from relatively inoffensive pranks to more harmful videos featuring bullying or harassment.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • On the surface, Little House on the Prairie is one of the most inoffensive and wholesome shows of all time.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026
Definition of inoffensive
Adjective
  • The report’s conclusion speculates that keeping things private, even innocuous ones, signals secretiveness.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
  • These were pretty innocuous in the grand scheme of things, but were hanging as a PR headache for Ferrari heading to its home race.
    — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of innocuous
Adjective
  • All that’s required is a compromised website—a painless enough task—a fake CAPTCHA overlay, and the inclusion of a single terminal command.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • People are increasingly looking to coronary artery calcium scans as a quick and painless way to learn more about their heart health risk—important information, considering heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
    — Laura Bradley, HEALTH, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of painless
Adjective
  • Staying realistic about what current systems can and cannot do yet is a safe measure to get value out of the investment.
    — Pat Williams, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Mistakes to Avoid Avoid these mistakes to keep yourself and the bear safe.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of safe

Browse Nearby Words

nonthinking
nonthreatening
nontotalitarian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonthreatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonthreatening. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All