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
Inessential and inoffensive, frequently adorable and fun for the whole family, Jon Favreau’s film feels like three good-enough TV episodes smushed together.
—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
An inoffensive, technically impressive spectacle that's kinda a snooze fest.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Saturday Night Live host Matt Damon was cast as the adoring husband in Mom, an entirely inoffensive movie where nothing bad happens—something that mothers everywhere will enjoy.
—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
Matter of fact, none of his trademark charisma or humor can be found on the entire album, which seems like a complete misunderstanding of the genre as self-serious and inoffensive.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
An inoffensive, technically impressive spectacle that's kinda a snooze fest.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Saturday Night Live host Matt Damon was cast as the adoring husband in Mom, an entirely inoffensive movie where nothing bad happens—something that mothers everywhere will enjoy.
—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
Matter of fact, none of his trademark charisma or humor can be found on the entire album, which seems like a complete misunderstanding of the genre as self-serious and inoffensive.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoffensive
Adjective
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From the risk of leaks and water damage to potential electrical issues, a seemingly harmless load of laundry can occasionally turn into an expensive problem.
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Even moderate drinking carries risk and is not as harmless as people, including experts, once thought.
Adjective
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But at that point, the headlines were still focused on relatively benign annoyances like car engines conking out, or a bridge getting stuck on Roosevelt Road.
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Such a seemingly benign move puts Ethiopia in opposition to China’s monopoly and is a rebuke of the former object of Ethiopian emulation.
Adjective
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Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
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Los Robles officials said that staff, patients and visitors were safe and that medical care was not interrupted at the hospital.
Adjective
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All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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That law predates the much wider United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which took effect in 1994, giving ships the right of innocent passage through any country's territorial waters without paying a fee.
Cite this Entry
“Inoffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoffensive. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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