Word
benign
Benign describes something that is harmless and not likely to cause damage or trouble.
Meanings
Kind, gentle, and not harmful or threatening.
Not dangerous or likely to cause harm; mild in effect.
In medicine, describing a tumor or growth that is not cancerous.
Definition
Benign is used to describe something that is gentle, harmless, or unlikely to have a negative effect. It can refer to a person’s attitude or actions that are kind and non-threatening. It is also commonly used in medicine to describe a growth that is not cancerous. The word often contrasts with “harmful,” “hostile,” or “malignant.”
Examples
- Her benign smile eased the tension in the room without drawing attention to itself.
- The committee treated the error as benign and focused on preventing it from happening again.
- My dermatologist assured me that the lump was benign, though I still wanted it monitored.
- They assumed his questions were benign, even if they sounded unusually direct at first.
- Your remark may be benign, but it can still be misread in a heated discussion.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse benign with beneficial; benign means “not harmful,” not necessarily “helpful.”
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.