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Glite Dictionary
to harm a hair on someone's head

to harm a hair on someone's head

1 7.1
To hurt someone in any way, even a little
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : dañar un pelo de la cabeza de alguien
  • Did anyone harm a hair on his head?

Examples

  • " I wouldn't harm a hair on Bobbie's head.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Don't worry, I promise I won't harm a hair on his head during the game.

  • I promised my lord I would not harm a hair on your head.

    47 Ronin (2013)

  • - If you harm a hair on her head... -

    Last Action Hero (1993)

  • I wouldn't harm a hair on his head!

    Air Bud (1997)

  • Meaning like not harming a hair on someone's head that I don't intend to.

  • She claims Ronnie Davison is crazy about Sabra and wouldn't harm a hair on her head.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I would never harm a hair on your head; you're my best friend.

  • She was shocked to hear that someone would even think to harm a hair on her friend's head.

Synonyms

to harm
vsto harm a hair on someone's head
738 1.0

To cause a bad effect on people or things

refers to any injury even to the smallest degree

Antonyms

help
∞ 1.0

An act that makes something easier for someone

to protect
∞ 1.0

To keep someone or something safe from harm

Surface Forms

harm a hair on someone's head infinitive

Morphology

harm + a + hair + on + someone's + head

The phrase literally combines 'harm' with the tiny thing 'a hair on someone's head', so a learner can plausibly infer the intended meaning 'not harm even the slightest part of someone' from the constituents. However, the construction functions as an idiomatic intensifier meaning 'not harm someone at all', which is a conventionalized metaphorical use and may not be fully predictable to an average B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

Harm a hair on someone's head may come from the simple picture of someone so safe that you would not even harm a single hair on their head. So the phrase means 'to not hurt someone at all'.