Synonyms of safe

safe 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsāf 

1

as in secure

not exposed to the threat of loss or injury

the minute the rain started, we looked for a place where we would be safe from a drenching downpour

Synonyms & Similar Words

• secure
• alright
• well
• unharmed
• home free
• intact
• sound
• all right
• healthy
• hale
• whole
• unscathed
• unhurt
• uninjured
• scatheless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsafe
• vulnerable
• open
• liable
• subject (to)
• susceptible
• insecure
• exposed
• threatened
• endangered
• imperiled
• injured
• violable
• damaged
• hurt
• wounded
• harmed
• scathed

2

as in protecting

providing safety

we tried to find a safe place to hide our valuables while we went swimming

Synonyms & Similar Words

• secure
• protecting
• protected
• sheltered
• snug
• sheltering
• guarding
• safeguarding
• guarded
• defended
• shielded
• invulnerable
• inviolable
• shielding
• unassailable
• impregnable
• unconquerable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dangerous
• hazardous
• unsafe
• risky
• insecure
• perilous
• threatening
• vulnerable
• menacing
• unprotected
• uncertain
• precarious
• unguarded
• treacherous
• parlous
• minatory
• undefended

3

as in uncontroversial

unlikely to provoke controversy or offense

when chatting with strangers, she prefers to stick to safe topics such as the weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uncontroversial
• positive
• noncontroversial
• certain
• definite
• politically correct
• unquestionable
• indisputable
• incontestable
• incontrovertible
• undeniable
• indubitable
• irrefutable
• sure
• uncontested
• undisputed
• hands-down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• controversial
• doubtful
• questionable
• debatable
• arguable
• moot
• contestable
• disputable
• hot-button
• disputed
• controvertible
• debated
• doubtable

4

as in cautious

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble

rewarded safe drivers with lower insurance rates

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cautious
• careful
• wary
• alert
• guarded
• circumspect
• considerate
• conservative
• heedful
• chary
• vigilant
• gingerly
• watchful
• thoughtful
• attentive
• awake
• observant
• deliberate
• slow
• regardful
• foresighted
• provident
• hypercautious
• forethoughtful
• advertent
• calculating
• shrewd
• cagey
• foresightful
• ultracareful
• canny
• ultracautious

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsafe
• careless
• reckless
• regardless
• unguarded
• unmindful
• bold
• heedless
• rash
• impetuous
• unwary
• negligent
• venturesome
• inattentive
• thoughtless
• asleep
• brash
• lax
• incautious
• neglectful
• inconsiderate
• imprudent
• remiss
• indiscreet
• injudicious
• forgetful
• inadvertent
• unintentional
• unplanned
• absentminded

5

as in harmless

not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt

that pain reliever is safe for most people to take

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harmless
• benign
• innocent
• healthy
• innocuous
• white
• inoffensive
• sound
• anodyne
• gentle
• healthful
• mild
• hurtless
• benignant
• wholesome
• trustworthy
• salubrious
• gracious
• nontoxic
• nonthreatening
• unobjectionable
• painless
• noncorrosive
• nonpolluting
• nondestructive
• nonpoisonous
• nonlethal
• noninfectious
• nonfatal
• nonvenomous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dangerous
• harmful
• bad
• adverse
• ill
• detrimental
• evil
• damaging
• injurious
• wicked
• prejudicial
• deleterious
• poisonous
• noxious
• hazardous
• unsafe
• pernicious
• hurtful
• mischievous
• risky
• baneful
• threatening
• sinister
• perilous
• ominous
• baleful
• menacing
• venomous
• unsound
• nocuous
• unhealthy
• painful
• unhealthful
• unwholesome
• offensive
• lethal
• deadly
• fatal
• nasty
• destructive
• parlous
• ruinous
• jeopardizing
• scathing
• malignant
• imperiling
• polluted
• noxious
• insidious
• noisome
• wounding
• tainted
• pestilent

6

as in reliable

worthy of one's trust

she always offers safe advice

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reliable
• responsible
• good
• true
• steady
• secure
• solid
• dependable
• trustworthy
• sure
• loyal
• calculable
• trusty
• strong
• tried
• trustable
• constant
• faithful
• tried-and-true
• devoted
• fast
• steadfast
• effective
• honest
• sincere
• staunch
• sound
• proven
• valid
• infallible
• unerring
• validated
• confirmed
• firm
• telling
• blameless
• true-blue
• guiltless
• faultless
• unquestionable
• authenticated
• irreproachable
• single-minded
• unimpeachable
• impeccable
• verified
• attested
• inerrant
• bedrock

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsafe
• uncertain
• unreliable
• untrustworthy
• false
• treacherous
• untrue
• undependable
• unfaithful
• disloyal
• uncertain
• faithless
• hazardous
• fickle
• perfidious
• traitorous
• lying
• inconstant
• doubtful
• problematic
• dishonest
• questionable
• risky
• dodgy
• deceitful
• dubious
• shaky
• shady
• untruthful
• suspect
• unsound
• debatable
• mendacious
• fishy
• disputable
• recreant
• untried
• unconfirmed
• doubtable

safe

2 of 2

noun

as in vault

a specially reinforced container to keep valuables safe

the hotel recommended that we keep all our valuables in its safe during our stay

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vault
• strongbox
• locker
• safe-deposit box
• box
• coffer
• trunk
• treasury
• casket
• chest
• case
• storeroom
• lockbox
• caddy
• footlocker

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of safe

Adjective

Across the country, grain — a key export — piles up in fields and silos as farmers struggle to find routes safe from airstrikes and wait for prices to rise. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

In 2021, a group of employees at OpenAI left to start a new company focused on the safe development of artificial intelligence. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026

Noun

The event featured live music, free giveaways that included Chromebooks, gas cards and biometric gun safes, and presentations from guests who spoke about safety. — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026

The group shattered windows, stole or attempted to steal cash, register drawers and safes. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026