innocuous
Harmless, and not likely to upset or hurt anyone.
innocuous in a sentence
- The spider looked scary, but it was completely innocuous.
- It was an innocuous question, but it made Dan blush.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to innocuous?
- Aoffensive
- Bharmless
- Cdangerous
- Dharmful
Show the answer
B: harmless. The other three mean the opposite of innocuous.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to innocuous?
- Ainoffensive
- Bharmless
- Charmful
- Dsafe
Show the answer
C: harmful. The other three mean nearly the same as innocuous.
Words that mean something similar
harmless, safe, inoffensive
Words that mean the opposite
harmful, dangerous, offensive
More words about behaviour & manners
- insolent: Rude in a bold, cheeky way.
- interfere: To get involved in something that is not your business, often making it worse.
- intervene: To step in to stop trouble or help sort something out.
- justice: The fair treatment of people, where right is rewarded and wrong is punished.
- juvenile: To do with young people, or behaving in a childish way.
- lax: Not strict or careful enough.
- leeway: Freedom to do things in your own way or make small mistakes.
- lenient: Gentle and not strict when someone breaks a rule.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test