harmless

adjective

harm·​less ˈhärm-ləs 

1

: free from harm, liability, or loss

2

: lacking capacity or intent to injure : innocuous

a harmless joke

harmlessly adverb

harmlessness noun

Synonyms

• anodyne
• benign
• hurtless
• innocent
• innocuous
• inoffensive
• safe
• white

Examples of harmless in a Sentence

His ideas seem harmless enough.

We're just having a bit of harmless fun.

It was just a harmless joke.

Recent Examples on the Web

While castor beans themselves are harmless, ricin, when extracted correctly in a complex process, is lethal and has been the stuff of Cold War assassinations and the plot of a popular episode on the Breaking Bad television series. —Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025

While these videos are mostly filter-free and appear to be harmless fun, Hines explained how beauty filters have altered the way the brain recognizes and prefers certain facial features. —Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025

Most importantly, have fun and be silly: Leprechauns are supposed to cause harmless trouble, so the funnier the better! —Amanda Rock, Parents, 5 Mar. 2025

These devices are more precise and subtle than old fashioned metal detectors, using specific sensitivity settings and artificial intelligence to detect hidden weapons as opposed to harmless items such as keys and phones, allowing people to enter facilities with very little delay. —Chris Boyette, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

harmless

adjective

harm·​less ˈhärm-ləs 

1

: free from harm

2

: unable to harm

harmlessly adverb

harmlessness noun

Legal Definition

harmless

adjective

harm·​less

1

: free from harm, liability, or loss

—often used in the phrase to hold harmless see also hold harmless

2

: lacking capacity or intent to injure

harmlessly adverb

harmlessness noun