English

Adjective

innocuous ‎(comparative more innocuous, superlative most innocuous)

1. Harmless; producing no ill effect.
   • 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, A Footnote to History, ch. 9:

     The shells fell for the most part innocuous; an eyewitness saw children at play beside the flaming houses; not a soul was injured.

   • 1910, Bram Stoker, The Lair of the White Worm, ch. 11:

     Other things, too, there were, not less deadly though seemingly innocuous—dried fungi, traps intended for birds, beasts, fishes, reptiles, and insects.

   • 2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC:

     As the half closed Bale and Ledley both went close with good efforts, but Bellamy picked up a yellow card for an innocuous challenge that also rules the new Liverpool man out of the trip to Wembley.

2. Inoffensive; unprovocative; not exceptional.
   • 1893, Gilbert Parker, Mrs. Falchion, ch. 12:

     Ruth Devlin announced that the song must wait, though it appeared to be innocuous and child-like in its sentiments.

   • 1910, P. G. Wodehouse, The Intrusion of Jimmy, ch. 28:

     He sat down, and lighted a cigarette, casting about the while for an innocuous topic of conversation.

Synonyms

• (harmless, without ill effect): innoxious, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, undamaging, harmless
• (inoffensive): uncontroversial

Antonyms

• nocuous
• noxious
• harmful
• poisonous
• toxic

Derived terms

• innocuity
• innocuously
• innocuousness

Related terms

• innocent

Translations