harm
/hɑːm
/noun [mass noun]
1Physical injury, especially that which is deliberately inflicted: I didn’t mean to cause him any harm...
- They knew that there was a very strong chance that the police would come in and remove them and, in that process, inflict physical injury or serious harm to a person.
- Police officers then arrived and arrested the offender, 19, on suspicion of causing actual body harm.
- Emphasize the importance of telling you and an adult at school whenever another kid or group of kids causes your child or anyone else physical harm.
Synonyms
injury, hurt, pain, suffering, distress, anguish, trauma, torment, grief;
damage, impairment, destruction, loss, ruin, defacement, defilement, mischief
1.1Material damage: it’s unlikely to do much harm to the engine...
- He said the issue was whether the extra-high roof had caused material harm and the unanimous view of planning officers had been that it did not.
- He added: ‘We investigate all reports of pollution and harm to the environment will result in prosecution.’
- Mrs Thelwell secured retrospective planning permission to put up a new staircase and partition wall at Sundial House as councillors accepted the work had not resulted in any material harm.
1.2Actual or potential ill effects or danger: there’s no harm in asking her...
- Patients who are well informed about prognosis and treatment options, including potential harms and side effects, are more likely to adhere to treatments and have better health outcomes.
- However, in the case of the U.S.-China textile trade, the U.S. imposed the measures before actual harm had taken place.
- What possible harm could this therapeutic effect have?
Synonyms
evil, badness, wrong, mischief, wrongdoing, immorality, ill, wickedness, vice, iniquity, sin, sinfulness, nefariousness
verb [with object]
1Physically injure: the villains didn’t harm him...
- Despite all these, if I ever hear again about you physically harming others, don't be surprised if the police come and arrest you for assault.
- This taxi driver became violent and physically harmed me.
- There is no use fighting intolerance by physically harming someone.
1.1Damage the health of: smoking when pregnant can harm your baby...
- Some workers who claim that their health has been harmed by tobacco smoke at work, are already suing employers for damages of up to 250,000.
- ‘I know I am harming my health, but there are so many people smoking around me, so the harm must be slight,’ said the boy while blowing out smoke.
- Environmentalists claim the waves were harming the health of local residents.
1.2Have an adverse effect on: this could harm his World Cup prospects...
- Do we feed the hungry by developing higher-yielding crops, even if it might harm the Earth?
- Taking five or eight or ten years off to get the kids started off right before they go to school is going to mean irreparably harming our prospects for advancement.
- Cunningham is popular with the party faithful, but party modernisers view her as too radical and fear that some of her views could be harming their electoral prospects.
Phrases
come to no harm
do more harm than good
no harm done
no harm, no foul
out of harm's way
there is no harm in ——
Origin
Old English hearm (noun), hearmian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German Harm and Old Norse harmr 'grief, sorrow'.