adjective
innocuous
ih-NAHK-yoo-us/ɪˈnɑːkjuəs/
Not likely to cause harm or offense.
The innocuous ladybug rests on her hand as both women watch.
Etymology
“Not” combines with the root meaning “to harm” to express being harmless or inoffensive. This directly underlies the description of something unlikely to cause trouble or offense.
In context
On the face of it, they appear to be perfectly innocuous, and they are often very well managed, but they provide cover for predators such as crows and foxes.
More examples
- She opens the conversation with an innocuous question about the weather.
- The chemical is innocuous at the concentration used in this cleaner.
- Even an innocuous joke can upset someone having a difficult day.
Forms
innocuous · more innocuous · most innocuous
innocuously adverb — In a harmless or inoffensive way.
innocuousness noun — The quality of being harmless or inoffensive.
Similar words
- harmless
- Emphasizes absence of harm rather than absence of offense.
- inoffensive
- Emphasizes not upsetting or offending people, rather than physical safety.