harm
B2Neutral to formal. Common in legal, medical, and everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Physical or emotional damage, injury, or hurt.
Any kind of detrimental effect or negative consequence, including damage to reputation, property, or systems. It can also imply wronging someone morally.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The concept often involves intention or negligence, but can also refer to accidental damage. It is gradable (e.g., great harm, little harm).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. The legal phrase 'grievous bodily harm' (GBH) is predominantly British.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar high frequency in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
harm someone/something (direct object)do harm to someone/somethingcome to no harmVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No harm done”
- “Out of harm's way”
- “More harm than good”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to financial or reputational damage (e.g., 'The scandal did significant harm to the company's brand.')
Academic
Used in ethics (moral harm), psychology (psychological harm), or environmental studies (ecological harm).
Everyday
Common in warnings or expressions of concern (e.g., 'I hope he came to no harm.')
Technical
In law (e.g., 'proof of actual harm'), medicine (e.g., 'risk of harm to the patient'), and cybersecurity (e.g., 'malware designed to cause harm').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The new policy could harm the most vulnerable in society.
- He claimed the article had harmed his reputation.
American English
- The chemicals won't harm the paint on your car.
- The lawsuit argues the company knowingly harmed consumers.
adverb
British English
- The machine was running harmlessly in the background.
- The protest passed off harmlessly.
American English
- The joke was taken harmlessly by everyone present.
- The virus mutated into a harmlessly weak strain.
adjective
British English
- The lack of a guard rail is a harmful oversight.
- They spread harmful rumours about their competitors.
American English
- The website was flagged for containing harmful content.
- It's important to avoid harmful sun exposure.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Too much sugar can harm your teeth.
- The dog is friendly and won't harm you.
- The storm caused a lot of harm to the coastal village.
- He didn't mean to cause any harm by his comments.
- The court must decide if the publication caused serious harm to his character.
- The new evidence suggests the drug is more harmful than previously thought.
- The journalist argued that the legislation would do irreparable harm to press freedom.
- The defendant was charged with reckless endangerment and causing grievous bodily harm.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
HARM sounds like 'ARM' – imagine someone injuring their arm, which is a clear type of harm.
Conceptual Metaphor
HARM IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT (e.g., 'do harm', 'cause harm'), HARM IS A FORCE (e.g., 'protect from harm').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'evil' ('зло'). 'Harm' is more about concrete damage. The verb 'to harm' is closer to 'вредить' or 'причинять вред', not 'вредничать' (to be mischievous).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'harm' as a countable noun incorrectly (e.g., 'He caused many harms' is usually wrong; use 'a lot of harm' or 'many injuries').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a typical collocation with 'harm'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable. You don't say 'a harm' or 'harms' in most contexts. Use 'damage' or 'injury' for countable ideas.
'Harm' is broad, covering physical, emotional, or abstract damage. 'Hurt' often focuses on pain or emotional distress. 'Injure' is typically used for physical damage to a person.
Yes. In phrases like 'no harm done' or 'there's no harm in asking', it's used to minimise the perceived risk or negative consequence of an action.
Not necessarily. 'Dangerous' describes a high risk of causing harm. Something can be harmful without being immediately dangerous (e.g., harmful habits). 'Harmful' describes the proven negative effect.