as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
an inoffensive little joke at the opening of his speech
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Recent Examples of inoffensive
The Ballad of Wallis Island Rated PG-13 for inoffensive bird-watching and offensive self-pity.
—
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
On its face, With Love, Meghan is an inoffensive, fairly rote entry in the general category of home-hospitality shows.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025
Instead, we’re left with Disney’s answer to centrism, a live-action adaptation of one of its most classic films that can be described, at best, as inoffensive.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
Canada has always been an inoffensive country, and how is that working out for it?
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
On its face, With Love, Meghan is an inoffensive, fairly rote entry in the general category of home-hospitality shows.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025
Instead, we’re left with Disney’s answer to centrism, a live-action adaptation of one of its most classic films that can be described, at best, as inoffensive.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
Canada has always been an inoffensive country, and how is that working out for it?
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoffensive
Adjective
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False positives: Finding harmless abnormalities can lead to false-positive results (a test result that incorrectly determines a condition is present), unnecessary stress, tests, and procedures.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
10 Apr. 2025
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On the surface, YouTubers’ content looks harmless—a teen girl in her bedroom making squishies or kids unboxing their latest hauls from popular stores, sharing unfiltered opinions.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The hole dubbed Magnolia in the club’s lexicon fits that description, especially after officials stretched the once-benign par-4 by 40 yards to 495 — and still a par-4.—
Bob Spear,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Apr. 2025
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The report also revealed that the president underwent a colonoscopy last July, when he was diagnosed with diverticulitis and a benign polyp, and had cataract surgery at some undetailed point in the past.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Maintain a safe distance from water, wet items, and metal objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2025
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The margins for error are always going to be thin on a cold, wet night like Monday, but Juan Soto is a safe bet any night.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That innocent people are disappearing into El Salvador’s prisons is no secret—making the embrace of Bukele a disturbing signal of just how far a strongman can go without losing political ground.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
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His innocent questions were always softened by stoner jokes.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inoffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoffensive. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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