harmless
gb/hˈɑɹmləs/ us/hˈɑɹmləs/
A2
English
~ 3100
ártalmatlan
A2
1
ártalmatlan
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is harmless
The spider looks scary, but it's completely harmless.
A pók ijesztőnek tűnik, de teljesen ártalmatlan.
He meant it as a harmless joke, not an insult.
Ártalmatlan viccnek szánta, nem sértésnek.
These chemicals are harmless in small amounts.
The medicine is harmless when taken as directed.
Learner examples
The dog is harmless.
A kutya ártalmatlan.
It is a harmless game.
Ez egy ártalmatlan játék.
This plant is harmless to people.
Her words were harmless.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'harmless' with 'unharmed'. 'Harmless' describes something that will not cause harm, while 'unharmed' describes someone or something that has not been hurt.
Meaning
Not causing harm or damage
Collocations
completely harmless
|relatively harmless
|harmless fun
|harmless prank
|harmless animal
Synonyms
safe (Implies freedom from danger; broader in scope than 'harmless'.)
|
inoffensive (Emphasizes not causing emotional upset rather than physical harm.)
Antonyms
dangerous (Likely to cause harm or injury.)
|
harmful (Capable of causing damage or injury.)
Themes
safety
|health
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not able or not likely to hurt anyone or anything.
Not capable of causing physical, emotional, or other damage.
Grammar
Dictionary form
harmless
IPA
GB/hˈɑɹmləs/
US/hˈɑɹmləs/
Syllables & stress
harm - less (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (harm)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: harmless
Word family
Expressions
harmless fun
1/hˈɑɹmləs fˈʌn/
fixed phrase
Enjoyment without causing harm
Fun that does not hurt people or things.
Examples
- The kids were just having some harmless fun in the yard.
- It was all harmless fun, nothing to get upset about.
harmless prank
1/hˈɑɹmləs pɹˈæŋk/
fixed phrase
Joke that causes no harm
A joke or trick that does not hurt anyone.
Examples
- They played a harmless prank on their teacher.
- It was a harmless prank that made everyone laugh.