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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inoffensive
The song structures and melodies are familiar; the production is largely inoffensive, and any pop radio station can play these lyrics.
—
Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Panahi’s work up to this point might have been considered inoffensive, even safe, which made his next film, 2000’s The Circle, a major shift.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
Branch is a rarity in the home office space, making furniture finds that marry ergonomics with sleek, inoffensive silhouettes.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
The design remains clean, functional and inoffensive.
—New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoffensive
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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Nestled in the tiny eastern Connecticut town, the century-old building that once housed Burdick’s General Store appears to be an ordinary, benign example of historic New England architecture.—
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While largely benign, motion sickness can be highly unpleasant — often causing nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, as well as sweating, headache, and irritability in some cases.—
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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Demonstrators argued that taxpayer money should not be used to harm or kill innocent people and rejected claims that the killing of Good was an act of self-defense.—
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Multiple innocent lives lost due to violence.—
Cite this Entry
“Inoffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoffensive. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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