innocuous

Compared meaning: not likely to cause harm or offense (adjective).

比较义项：无害的，不会造成伤害或冒犯（形容词）。

• harmless

  Harmless describes something with no real capacity to cause physical harm or damage; it is common, everyday, informal, and often used for animals, substances, or actions.

  harmless 强调某事物本身没有造成实际伤害或损害的能力，是常见的日常口语用词，常用于动物、物质或行为。

  The spider looked frightening, but it was actually completely harmless to humans.

  那只蜘蛛看起来很吓人，但其实对人类完全无害。

• innocuous 本词

  Innocuous is more formal and emphasizes not causing offense, irritation, or an unpleasant reaction; it typically describes remarks, comments, or substances in neutral or written contexts.

  innocuous 语气更为正式，强调不会引起冒犯、不悦或不良反应，常用于言论、评论或物质，多见于书面或较中性的语境。

  His comment seemed innocuous, but she got upset anyway.

  他的那句话本来听起来无伤大雅，但她还是生气了。

Harmless and innocuous both mean not causing harm, but the use differs. Harmless describes something with little real danger; it is common and informal, used for animals, substances, or actions. Innocuous is more formal, emphasizing no offense or unpleasant reaction, often for remarks or comments.

这两个词在此义项上都表示“无害”，但语气和使用场合不同：harmless 更口语、更强调没有实际伤害能力，常用于人、动物、物质等具体事物；innocuous 更正式，强调不会引起冒犯或不良反应，常用于言论、评论等抽象事物。