harm

 
Pronunciation: /hɑːm/

noun

[mass noun]
  • physical injury, especially that which is deliberately inflicted: I didn’t mean to cause him any harm
  • material damage: it’s unlikely to do much harm to the engine
  • actual or potential ill effects or danger: there’s no harm in asking her

verb

[with object]
  • physically injure: the villains didn’t harm him
  • damage the health of: smoking when pregnant can harm your baby
  • have an adverse effect on: this could harm his World Cup prospects

Phrases

come to no harm

be unhurt or undamaged: yachts with experienced crews generally come to no harm

do more harm than good

inadvertently make a situation worse rather than better: hasty legislation does more harm than good

no harm done

used to reassure someone that what they have done has caused no real damage or problems: there’s no harm done in this case but you really must be chary of giving invitations to people we don’t know

out of harm's way

in a safe place: some of the fortune was placed overseas out of harm’s way

there is no harm in ——

the specified course of action may not be guaranteed success but is at least unlikely to have unwelcome repercussions: other stores may be offering similar deals—there’s no harm in asking

Origin:

Old English hearm (noun), hearmian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German Harm and Old Norse harmr 'grief, sorrow'