Innocuous

Pronunciation: /ɪˈnɑkjuəs/

Definitions of innocuous

adjective not harmful or offensive

Example Sentences

A1 The kitten played with an innocuous ball of yarn.

A2 She made an innocuous comment about the weather to break the ice.

B1 The website contained innocuous advertisements that were not intrusive.

B2 His innocuous joke helped lighten the mood in the room.

C1 The innocuous mistake went unnoticed in the final report.

C2 The innocuous nature of the painting belied its deeper meaning.

Examples of innocuous in a Sentence

formal The scientist conducted a series of tests to confirm that the substance was innocuous.

informal Don't worry, it's just an innocuous bug bite.

slang That rumor about her is totally innocuous, don't believe it.

figurative His words may seem innocuous, but they hold a deeper meaning.

Grammatical Forms of innocuous

• past tense: innocued
• plural: innocuouses
• comparative: more innocuous
• superlative: most innocuous
• present tense: innocues
• future tense: will innocue
• perfect tense: has innocued
• continuous tense: is innocuing
• singular: innocuous
• positive degree: innocuous
• infinitive: to innocue
• gerund: innocuing
• participle: innocued

Origin and Evolution of innocuous

First Known Use: 1598 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'innocuous' originated from the Latin word 'innocuus', which is a combination of 'in-' (not) and 'nocuus' (harmful).

Evolution of the word: Initially, 'innocuous' was used to describe something harmless or not causing injury. Over time, its usage expanded to include things that are not likely to offend or provoke strong reactions.