harmless

1 of 2

adjective

harm·​less ˈhärm-ləs How to pronounce harmless (audio)
Synonyms of harmlessnext
1
: free from harm, liability, or loss
2
: lacking capacity or intent to injure : innocuous
a harmless joke
harmlessly adverb
harmlessness noun

harmlessness

2 of 2

noun

harm·​less·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being harmless

Synonyms of harmless

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of harmless in a Sentence

Adjective 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
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Adjective
The categories data brokers can put you in Some of these classifications sound harmless. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 When something as harmless as double texting is seen as a cringey faux pas, salvation takes a backseat to saving face. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Serious trouble can find its way into even the safest communities, and Green knows better than to assume that a quiet street means a harmless encounter. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026 But defining where harmless fun ends and harmful manipulation begins is far from straightforward. — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harmless

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of harmless was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

harmfulness
harmless
harmlessly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harmless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harmless. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

harmless

adjective
harm·​less ˈhärm-ləs How to pronounce harmless (audio)
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
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