Standard Lemma guide

harmfulness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: HH AA1 R M F AH0 L N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The characteristic of being harmful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the quality of being noxious

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: noisomeness, noxiousness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unwholesomeness, morbidness, morbidity

3

noun

Meaning 3

destructiveness that causes harm or injury

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: injuriousness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: destructiveness

Narrower terms: insidiousness, virulence, virulency

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English harmful Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English harmfulness From harmful + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: nocivité — the characteristic of being harmful
  • German: Schädlichkeit — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Irish: urchóideacht — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Italian: nocività — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Italian: nocevolezza — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Japanese: 有害 (yūgai) — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Latin: nocivum — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Portuguese: nocividade — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Romanian: nocivitate — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Russian: вре́дность (vrédnostʹ) — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Spanish: nocividad — the characteristic of being harmful
  • Turkish: zararlılık — the characteristic of being harmful