Dictionary

innocuous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈnɑkjuəs/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /ɪˈnɒkjuəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin innocuus (“harmless”) (therefore, no gemination in + nocuous).

Meanings

1. Harmless; producing no ill effect.
   • As the half closed [Gareth] Bale and [Joe] Ledley both went close with good efforts, but [Craig] Bellamy picked up a yellow card for an innocuous challenge that also rules the new Liverpool man out of the trip to Wembley. 2011 September 2, “Wales 2 — 1 Montenegro”, in BBC Sport:
   • The effects of any one instance of TV absorbing and pablumizing cultural tokens seems innocuous enough. 1997, David Foster Wallace, “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction”, in A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN:
   • Other things, too, there were, not less deadly though seemingly innocuous—dried fungi, the touch of which was death and whose poison was carried on in the air; also traps intended for birds, beast, fishes, reptiles, and insects; machines which could produce pain of any kind and degree, and the only mercy of which was the power of producing speedy death. 1911, Bram Stoker, “Mesmer’s Chest”, in The Lair of the White Worm, London: William Rider and Son, […], →OCLC, page 110:
   • With its green cupola or tapering spire, / Which sunset touches with innocuous fire, / The little church appears, to sanctify / The precincts duly where men live and die— [...] 1838, Richard Chenevix Trench, “Sonnet I. To England. In the Tyrol.”, in Sabbation; Honor Neale; and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 158:
   • The shells fell for the most part innocuous; an eyewitness saw children at play beside the flaming houses; not a soul was injured. 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 9, in A Footnote to History:
2. Inoffensive; unprovocative; unexceptionable.
   • He sat down, and lighted a cigarette, casting about the while for an innocuous topic of conversation. 1910, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 29, in The Intrusion of Jimmy:
   • Ruth Devlin announced that the song must wait, though it appeared to be innocuous and child-like in its sentiments. 1893, Gilbert Parker, chapter 12, in Mrs. Falchion:

Forms

Antonyms

poisonous · scathel · injurious · noisome · venom · nocent · mischievous · prejudicial · harmful · hurtful · nocuous · nocuous · harmful · deleterious · detrimental · noxious · damaging · inimical · sullen · noxious · scathand · toxic

Deriveds

innocuously · uninnocuous · innocuity · innocuousness

Relateds

innocent

Synonyms

anodyne · undamaging · innoxious · unharmful · nontoxic · nonpoisonous · uncontroversial · harmless

Translations (63)

bg безвреден (harmless — see also harmless) · ro inofensiv (harmless — see also harmless) · az məsum (harmless — see also harmless) · de unverfänglich (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · he לא מזיק (harmless — see also harmless) · cs nevinný (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · sv oskadlig (harmless — see also harmless) · kk зиянсыз (harmless — see also harmless) · ca innocu (harmless — see also harmless) · da harmløs (harmless — see also harmless) · es inocuo (harmless — see also harmless) · it innocuo (harmless — see also harmless) · ru безоби́дный (harmless — see also harmless) · hu ártalmatlan (harmless — see also harmless) · pl niegroźny (harmless — see also harmless) · grc ἀβλαβής (harmless — see also harmless) · fi harmiton (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · fi viaton (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · nl onschadelijk (harmless — see also harmless) · cs neškodný (harmless — see also harmless) · nl onschuldig (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · de konform (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · fi vaaraton (harmless — see also harmless) · ro nevătămător (harmless — see also harmless) · bg безобиден (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · nl onschadelijk (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · de gewöhnlich (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · nl braaf (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · uk необра́зливий (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · es innocuo (harmless — see also harmless) · hu ártalmatlan (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · pl bezpieczny (harmless — see also harmless) · de harmlos (harmless — see also harmless) · fr inoffensif (harmless — see also harmless) · pt inócuo (harmless — see also harmless) · ja 無難な (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · kk залалсыз (harmless — see also harmless) · ota زیانسز (harmless — see also harmless) · tr zararsız (harmless — see also harmless) · ja 無害な (harmless — see also harmless) · fo óskaðiligur (harmless — see also harmless) · nb harmløs (harmless — see also harmless) · fi harmiton (harmless — see also harmless) · ota ضررسز (harmless — see also harmless) · fo meinaleysur (harmless — see also harmless) · ja 当たり障りのない (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · it innocuo (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · nl onschuldig (harmless — see also harmless) · sv oskyldig (harmless — see also harmless) · ru безвре́дный (harmless — see also harmless) · kk зарарсыз (harmless — see also harmless) · fr inoffensif (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · el αβλαβής (harmless — see also harmless) · kk қиянатсыз (harmless — see also harmless) · cs nezávadný (harmless — see also harmless) · fi viaton (harmless — see also harmless) · ja 無毒な (harmless — see also harmless) · el αβλαβής (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent) · sv ofarlig (harmless — see also harmless) · uk нешкідли́вий (harmless — see also harmless) · fa بیضرر (harmless — see also harmless) · cmn 無害的 /无害的 (harmless — see also harmless) · cmn 無傷大雅的 /无伤大雅的 (inoffensive — see also inoffensive, innocent)