innocuous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪˈnɑkjuəs/ UK /ɪˈnɒkjuəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not harmful or offensive; harmless

It seemed an innocuous remark, but it deeply offended her.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not harmful or offensive;... harmless inoffensive benign innocent safe bland

Opposites

harmful noxious dangerous offensive

Word family

Forms innocuously

Derived forms innocuouslyinnocuousness

Related forms noxious nocent innocent nocuous

Etymology

From Latin innocuus ('harmless'), from in- ('not') + nocuus ('harmful'), from nocere ('to harm').

in- Latin nocere Latin *nek- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# innocuous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈnɑkjuəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈnɒkjuəs/

## Meanings
1. not harmful or offensive; harmless

## Examples
- It seemed an innocuous remark, but it deeply offended her.

## Synonyms
- harmless
- inoffensive
- benign
- innocent
- safe
- bland

## Antonyms
- harmful
- noxious
- dangerous
- offensive

## Derived Forms
- innocuously
- innocuousness

## Related Forms
- noxious
- nocent
- innocent
- nocuous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: in-
- Root: nocere
- Root: *nek-

## Etymology
From Latin innocuus ('harmless'), from in- ('not') + nocuus ('harmful'), from nocere ('to harm').

## AI Etymology
Innocuous comes from Latin innocuus ('harmless'), from in- ('not') + nocuus ('harmful'), from nocere ('to harm'). The historical trail runs through Latin in-, Latin nocere and Proto-Indo-European *nek-. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means not harmful or offensive; harmless. Derived formations include innocuously, innocuousness; related forms include noxious, nocent, innocent, nocuous.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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