B2noun2K

Harm

UK /["/hɑːm/"]/US /["/hɑːrm/"]/

Definition

damage or injury that is caused by a person or an event

In simple words: To hurt someone or something.

Examples

  • The use of plastic can cause harm to the environment.
  • She felt no harm from the minor injury during the game.
  • It's crucial to understand how smoking can lead to serious harm.
  • He intended to do no harm when he spoke his mind.
  • The harm caused by pollution is becoming more evident every year.
  • The child was warned not to approach the harm that could come from the wild animals.
  • Emotional harm can be just as damaging as physical harm.
  • Some medications can cause harm if taken in excess.

Usage notes

Use 'harm' in contexts where someone or something is negatively affected. It's suitable for both spoken and written English but avoids overly emotional contexts.

Grammar pattern

harm + object

Memory hint

Think of 'harm' as 'harmful' which starts with 'harm'. Imagine something sharp harming a balloon.

Collocations

  • considerable
  • great
  • serious
  • cause
  • do
  • inflict
  • come to somebody/​something
  • harm from
  • harm to
  • more harm than good
  • out of harm’s way

Synonyms

  • injure
  • hurt
  • damage
  • detriment
  • wound

Antonyms

  • benefit
  • heal
  • protect

Common mistakes

  • Confused with 'harm' vs 'damage' — 'harm' often involves living beings.
  • Incorrect verb forms — learners might say 'harmes' instead of 'harms'.
  • Using it in a non-causal way, like 'He was harmed by falling.' instead of 'He was harmed when he fell.'