Harmless
Harmless adjective - Not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt.
Usage example: a perfectly harmless little spider
Ill
Ill adjective - Causing or capable of causing harm.
Usage example: one of the ill effects of winter weather is the rapid spread of germs as people spend more time together indoors
Nearby Word: illness
Both words in one sentence
- Averted by Daisy, the Bumsteads' dog in Dean Young's Blondie, who bears the mailman no ill will and is harmless.
Source: Mailman vs. Dog - Harmless Freezing: He suffers no ill-effects after being defrosted in any of the three times he is.
Source: Web Comic / Gamecheetz -
Harmless Freezing: In one of the ice levels, Captain Rose is frozen solid and is simply thawed out shortly afterwards with no ill effects.
Cite this Source
Ill and Harmless. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/harmless/ill
Harmless & Ill. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/harmless/ill>.
Ill or Harmless. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/harmless/ill.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "harmless" and "ill" have occurred on timeline