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innocuously

innocuously

1 5.5
In a harmless way that does not upset or hurt people
  • adverb
  • /ɪˈnɑːkjuəsli/
translation icon : inocuamente
  • For all the years Carousel Luncheonette squatted innocuously at 182 Nassau Street, it seemed content to simply enjoy the patronage of people who already knew it was there, lovingly serving a small population of dedicated visitors every day.
  • start innocuously
  • begin innocuously
  • innocuously named

Examples

  • To those not paying close attention to Southeast Asia or international capital flows, the crisis began almost innocuously when Thailand's government announced on 2 July 1997 that it could no longer support the value of the Thai baht that had been pegged to the U.S. dollar.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The children played innocuously in the garden, unaware of any danger nearby.

  • And he starts kind of acting innocuously or at least without bad intentions, kind of like a boyfriend.

  • It started innocuously with a partner asking where a file was.

    Blog text (24)
  • The Bloomingdale's bag sat innocuously at her feet.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The only crime these people commit is innocuously walking into an area a dog perceives to be its territory.

    Blog text (6)
  • Of the many things wrong with the debates, the first, rather innocuously, was Romney's grammar.

    Blog text (11)
  • The Wii U could add something just as innocuously fun using the GamePad.

    Blog text (14)
  • "Where are you going?" he says innocuously, although he has body-checked me as I'm about to step off the pavement.

    Blog text (30)
  • The Comintern, in truth, continued to function as innocuously titled bureaus of the Soviet Communist Party.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

safely
vsinnocuously
473 1.0

In a way that does not cause harm

is like this but includes avoiding offence as well as danger
innocently
vsinnocuously
28 2.6

In a way that shows no guilt or knowledge of something wrong

is about avoiding harm or offence rather than lacking guilt
harmlessly
vsinnocuously
8 2.3

In a way that does not hurt people or things

is similar but also stresses avoiding offense as well as danger
benignly
vsinnocuously
3 5.8

In a kind and gentle way that does no harm

focuses more on being safe and not causing offence
unobtrusively
vsinnocuously
2 6.5

In a way that does not attract attention or cause trouble

relates to low impact but also covers causing no offence or harm
disarmingly
vsinnocuously
2 6.0

In a way that puts people at ease

reduces concern similarly but also means not causing offence or harm
unthreateningly
vsinnocuously
5.9

In a way that does not seem dangerous

covers both safety and lack of offence, not just appearance of danger
nonthreateningly
vsinnocuously
6.1

In a calm way that does not scare people

includes that low threat and also lack of offence or harm
inoffensively
vsinnocuously
4.4

In a way that does not upset or hurt people

adds that it also avoids physical danger, not just insult
undisturbingly
vsinnocuously
7.4

In a calm way that does not make people worried or upset

overlaps but also includes avoiding physical danger and offence

Antonyms

offensively
  • Offensive
15 4.5

In a rude or unpleasant way that upsets people

1 4.3

In a way that causes damage or hurts others

How Harmless

safely
473 1.0
benignly
3 5.8
innocuously
1 5.5
harmlessly
8 2.3

Surface Forms

innocuously positive

Morphology

innocuously = innocuous (transparent) = innocuous + ly

Standard adverbial formation from the adjective 'innocuous'; the meaning 'in a harmless or non-offensive way' follows directly.

Etymology

Innocuously comes from in- 'not' plus nocuous, from the old word nocere 'to harm', and the same root appears in innocent. So innocuously means doing something 'in a harmless way' and not causing harm, trouble, or danger.