1 adj Something that is harmless does not have any bad effects, especially on people's health.
(=safe) (Antonym: harmful)
Industry has been working at developing harmless substitutes for these gases..., This experiment was harmless to the animals.
harmlessly adv ADV with v
Another missile exploded harmlessly outside the town.
2 adj If you describe someone or something as harmless, you mean that they are not important and therefore unlikely to annoy other people or cause trouble.
He seemed harmless enough..., I would not want to deny them a harmless pleasure.
harmlessly adv ADV after v
It started harmlessly enough, with a statement from the Secretary of State for Social Security.
Translation English - Cobuild Collins Dictionary
gentle, innocent, innocuous, innoxious, inoffensive, nontoxic, not dangerous, safe, unobjectionable
dangerous, destructive, harmful, unhealthy, unsafe, unwholesome
English Collins Dictionary - English synonyms & Thesaurus
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"Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 4th edition published in 2003 © HarperCollins Publishers 1987, 1995, 2001, 2003 and Collins A-Z Thesaurus 1st edition first published in 1995 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995"