HARM Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'harm' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of harm are damage , hurt , impair , injure , and mar . While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss. // careful not to harm the animals

Q: When might 'damage' be a better fit than 'harm'?

While the synonyms damage and harm are close in meaning, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness. // a table damaged in shipping

Q: When is it sensible to use 'hurt' instead of 'harm'?

The words hurt and harm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings. // hurt by their callous remarks

Q: When would 'impair' be a good substitute for 'harm'?

The meanings of impair and harm largely overlap; however, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution. // years of smoking had impaired his health

Q: In what contexts can 'injure' take the place of 'harm'?

The words injure and harm can be used in similar contexts, but injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success. // badly injured in an accident

Q: When can 'mar' be used instead of 'harm'?

While in some cases nearly identical to harm , mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement. // the text is marred by many typos

harm 1 of 2

noun

ˈhärm

Definition of harm

as in damage

something that causes loss or pain you were lucky to survive the fire without harm no harm in trying

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harm

2 of 2

verb

as in to damage

to cause bodily damage to though she wasn't harmed by the flying glass, she slipped and fell on a piece and cut her hand

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as in to injure

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the company's reputation has been harmed by allegations of crooked accounting

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How is the word harm distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of harm are damage, hurt, impair, injure, and mar. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When might damage be a better fit than harm?

While the synonyms damage and harm are close in meaning, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When is it sensible to use hurt instead of harm?

The words hurt and harm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When would impair be a good substitute for harm?

The meanings of impair and harm largely overlap; however, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

In what contexts can injure take the place of harm?

The words injure and harm can be used in similar contexts, but injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

When can mar be used instead of harm?

While in some cases nearly identical to harm, mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of harm

Noun

The state cases come as OpenAI continues to battle more than 50 lawsuits claiming that ChatGPT caused users to experience psychological harm, financial and reputational damage, physical injury, and death. — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026 The harm this ban did to our clients, the First Amendment, and the public as a whole is profound. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

That definition would be key to determining how the players are being harmed by being declared ineligible. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Exactly how many people were injured, how severely they were harmed and their identities have not been released. — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harm

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harm

Noun

Having presented what seemed to be a solid alibi, Archer won and was awarded £500,000 in damages.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Qualifying risks must involve more than $1 billion in damages or the deaths or serious injuries of over 50 people.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of damage

Verb

Monday's attack came a day after a Russian drone struck the village of Pisochyn in the Kharkiv district, killing three people and injuring nine others, including children, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
The script was about a last draft-pick NFL player who gets injured on his very first play and returns home to Alaska to become a fisherman.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of injure

Verb

Both Republicans had promoted the narrative that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
The tight finish came after a first half with see-saw action — mainly by Stewart — but was marred by whistles and questionable foul calls.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of mar

Noun

The ship’s 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
His injuries were deemed non-life-threatening, and police said he is being taken to a Dallas-area hospital for further treatment.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of injury

Verb

Another six people were wounded, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week (in an interview with Pizzagate conspiracist Jack Posobiec) that the Pentagon would air the execution of the man convicted of the attack that killed 13 and wounded 30 more.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of wound

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“Harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harm. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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