innocuous
30
6.5
- adjective
- /ɪˈnɑːkjuəs/
:
inofensivo
- He made an innocuous comment that didn't offend anyone at the meeting.
- seemingly innocuous
- apparently innocuous
- relatively innocuous
Like, I mean, I can say something as innocuous as blue hair.
- Like, I mean, I can say something as innocuous as blue hair.
- So when you say something as innocuous as oh hey, how you doing?
- Which seems very innocuous at first, right?
- And I find out that something as innocuous as sneezing is helping someone get off.
- So I agree to do it thinking it's innocuous.
- But there's no, there's no advice and you're looking for patterns in even the most innocuous questions.
Examples
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Unlocking our phones feels innocuous, but the content we subject ourselves to can seriously affect our mood.
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And all those little innocuous interactions over the course of time, like any relationship, build trust.
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Like, I mean, I can say something as innocuous as blue hair.
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So when you say something as innocuous as oh hey, how you doing?
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Actually, I think it was just something innocuous like hello, whatever.
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Which seems very innocuous at first, right?
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Now that sounds pretty innocuous and even kind of helpful.
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Number six is trying to find seemingly innocuous home items.
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No one should notice a small, innocuous fishing vessel.
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In the warm light of morning, it seems innocuous and harmless, like just another ornament.
Fiction book (1992)
Synonyms
231
1.0
Not able to hurt people or things
134
1.0
Not meant to cause harm or upset
5
3.2
Not likely to upset or annoy people
4
3.8
Not likely to make someone feel afraid or unsafe
1
5.2
Not likely to upset or offend people
1
3.7
Something that does not upset people and is harmless
Not making people angry or hurting them
Does not upset people and avoids rude or hurtful words
Not likely to upset people, for example a comment or design
Not likely to hurt people, animals, or things
Not likely to cause danger or harm
Safe and not likely to cause harm
Antonyms
How Harmless
Surface Forms
Morphology
innocuous = nocuous (semi-transparent) = in + nocuous
Formally analyzable as the negative prefix 'in-' + 'nocuous', but 'nocuous' is rare and learners may not recognize it.
Etymology
Innocuous comes from Latin parts in- meaning 'not' and nocuous meaning 'harm', the same idea you see in noxious. So, something innocuous is 'not harmful' and not likely to cause a strong reaction.