harmlessharm‧less /ˈhɑːmləs $ ˈhɑːrm-/ ●○○ adjective 
Her brother’s a bit simple, but he’s quite harmless.2not likely to upset or offend anyone: It was just a bit of harmless fun.—harmlessly adverb: The spear whistled harmlessly over his head.—harmlessness noun [uncountable]
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- harmless fun
- Essential oils are harmless to skin, provided they are used correctly.
- He's a little crazy, I know, but he's harmless enough.
- I don't know why you're so upset -- it was only a harmless bit of fun.
- Male mosquitoes are completely harmless - it's only the females that bite.
- Our dog makes a lot of noise, but he's perfectly harmless.
- Radioactive waste needs to be stored for 25,000 years before it is harmless.
- We need to persuade parents that almost all vaccines are harmless.
- At the other end of the scale a short list of names and addresses is not necessarily harmless.
- But some diseases remain fatal, while others quickly become almost harmless.
- He wanted people to applaud because harmless women had been killed.
- Judged harmless, Paul was released on his own cognizance.
- The harmless noises of the countryside surrounded him.
- Then the engine note was suddenly fading, turning light and harmless, and Dickinson felt the controls start to answer.
- There are over 80 strains, the vast majority symptomless and harmless.
- Those genes would produce a harmless protein that, once inside the body, would sound the false alarm of infection.
Longman Language Activatornot harming anything or anyone
· I don't know why you're so upset -- it was only a harmless bit of fun.· Radioactive waste needs to be stored for 25,000 years before it is harmless.harmless enough (=used to say that someone or something that may seem harmful, is in fact not harmful) · He's a little crazy, I know, but he's harmless enough.
not harmful - use this especially when people have said or believe that something or someone is harmful: · The producer dismissed the comment as quite innocuous.· The murder suspect was an innocuous-looking man with wire-framed glasses.seemingly/apparently innocuous (=seeming harmless, but actually intended to be harmful): · Someone stood up and asked the professor an apparently innocuous question about his laboratory work.
if an action, activity, experience etc does no harm , it does not harm someone or something and may even help: · Learning how to live on your own for a while will do you no harm at all.it would do no harm to do something: · I expect they've sold all the tickets, but it won't do any harm to ask.
: environment-friendly/ozone-friendly etc used especially about products in shops, meaning that they do not harm the environment etc: · Look for aerosols which say 'ozone-friendly' on the can.· Tighter laws are needed to prevent manufacturers from falsely claiming their products are environment friendly.
when something is not likely to cause harm a safe activity, journey, way of doing something etc does not involve any danger: · Flying is one of the safest forms of travel.· Bye Sarah, have a safe journey.· the safe disposal of radioactive waste· Dr Williams said the drug would continue to be used because it was safe for most patients.it is safe to do something: · Is it safe to swim in the water here?safe sex (=sex that avoids the risk of disease): · Do teenagers know enough about safe sex and contraception?perfectly safe (=used especially to emphasize to someone that something is safe): · Our buses have to pass a safety test each year and are perfectly safe.
an animal or chemical that is harmless will not harm or injure anyone, even though it may seem dangerous: · Our dog makes a lot of noise, but he's perfectly harmless.· We need to persuade parents that almost all vaccines are harmless.harmless to: · Essential oils are harmless to skin, provided they are used correctly.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It was just a bit of harmless fun.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He was rendered almost speechless by the news. The blow to his head was strong enough to render him unconscious.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
It was just a bit of harmless fun. (=not likely to upset or offend anyone)· The game’s designer says it’s all a bit of harmless fun, but many parents disagree.
He was rendered almost speechless by the news. The blow to his head was strong enough to render him unconscious.· A little adultery now and then was harmless. As harmless as the man himself.· When the newcomer was passed as harmless, they relaxed and turned back to their drinks.· These ` sciences' are not, however, as harmless as they first appear.· He does a lot of thinking even if he can't say what. As harmless as a baby.· Introduce intellectual reasoning, and of course this threat is seen as harmless.· And harmless enough. As harmless as her love for him.
· He was quite harmless, and he had time for them.· It is quite harmless but doesn't look it.· Industry feared that even quite harmless products might have to be subjected to lengthy and costly hearings as a result.· Some of these, such as most small snails and limpets, are quite harmless.· Despite its huge size, disturbing echoes and sinister atmosphere this hall is quite harmless. 19.· As far as he's aware, Freddie is quite harmless and doesn't constitute a health hazard.· It has been forced to reveal itself due to strict new regulations for healthier office environments and appears quite harmless!· He wandered about this neck of the woods and he was quite harmless, he was fond of children.
· If heroin use proves relatively harmless to all concerned then we should advocate legal reform and controlled availability.· Many divorces, particularly the 50 percent occurring among young couples without children, may be relatively harmless.· A biopsy of brain tissue detected the presence of toxoplasmosis, which is relatively harmless in people with normally functioning immune systems.· Maybe 90 percent of the species are relatively harmless.· On this meter 100 units would be relatively harmless, so today's sunshine measuring up to 140 units was capable of burning.· Only small, scattered and relatively harmless fires were still alight when the local fire brigade arrived.
NOUN· It will provide harmless fun for millions and give valuable funding to the Arts and sports.· Obviously, he still thought he was just having a little harmless fun.· He did not think people wanted harmless fun on Sunday.· He'd never done it before but thought it sounded like harmless fun.· On stage at least - far away from allegations of steroid abuse - it is good harmless fun.
WORD FAMILYnounharmharmlessnessadjectiveunharmedharmful ≠ harmlessverbharmadverbharmlessly
1unable or unlikely to hurt anyone or cause damage: Her brother’s a bit simple, but he’s quite harmless.2not likely to upset or offend anyone: It was just a bit of harmless fun.—harmlessly adverb: The spear whistled harmlessly over his head.—harmlessness noun [uncountable]