1
as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gentle
not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect
basking under a benign sun on a day in early spring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of benign
About half of women develop benign breast calcifications.
—
Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
Noriega died in 2017 from complications during a surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 3 Jan. 2026
Noriega died after complications from a surgery to remove a benign brain tumor in 2017.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Favourite quote Maresca spends most of his media duties doing his best not to say much at all, although his recent rant about suffering the worst 48 hours of his Chelsea career after a benign question about Malo Gusto was against the norm and caused quite a stir.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benign
Adjective
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The infection develops when usually harmless bacteria travel through the respiratory tract and infiltrate the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, causing severe inflammation.—
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By adjusting a typical polymer synthesis to work in water, the researchers created the gas-permeable polymer polynorbornene, which is harmless to plants but which weakens the cell membranes of a various harmful bacteria.—
Adjective
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Common exfoliators and fine line-eliminators like retinol and glycolic acid are too harsh on my skin, but this serum utilizes lactic acid, which is far more gentle but just as potent.—
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Instead of direct water exposure, the robot switches to a gentler mechanical process.—
Adjective
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Having no cool aunt of my own and no elder sisters, just teenage babysitters and camp counselors (each with their own unique but tenuous grasp on anatomy and reproductive science), the book felt warm, inviting, and—perhaps most important to my terrified, bleeding, self—safe.—
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The two men exchange grateful texts later that evening, home safe and stumped about where to go next.—
Adjective
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These are the bad bathroom layouts keeping your space from feeling like a sanctuary, and designers are sharing how to switch things up for a much more soothing space.—
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Warm, soothing, and comforting – chicken soup is really good for the soul.—
Adjective
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The hardware is built for intimacy, pairing a soft exterior with full-body sensors that react to a user’s touch on its head or neck.—
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So uncompromising as to turn hard heads into soft behinds.—
Adjective
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The blast was set off on a concrete surface to replicate an urban environment, with air temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius, typical of mild weather conditions.—
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In fact, David Landsberg, the President & CEO at Goodwill Industries of South Florida, says that most decorative home goods made of glass, metal, or ceramic can easily be cleaned with a simple combination of mild dish soap and warm water.—
Adjective
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Check out which Tiny Desk is most likely to surprise you, what has the most mellow groove and more.—
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If Lopatin has increasingly pushed his solo music into a more over-the-top, dramatized mode over the years (with the refreshing exception of this year’s mellow Tranquilizer), all that theatricality finally finds a good outlet here, lifting the material to grandiose and otherworldly places.—
Cite this Entry
“Benign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benign. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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