harm
pronunciation
How to pronounce harm in British English:
UK [hɑːm]
How to pronounce harm in American English:
US [hɑːrm]
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- Noun:
- any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
- the occurrence of a change for the worse
- the act of damaging something or someone
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- Verb:
- cause or do harm to
Word Origin
- harm
- harm: [OE] The ideas of ‘physical damage’ and ‘grief’ are intimately associated in the word harm: indeed, until the early 17th century it had both meanings, and its relatives, German and Swedish harm, mean exclusively ‘grief’. It appears to be related to Russian sram ‘shame, scandal’, but its ultimate ancestry is not known.
- harm (n.)
- Old English hearm "hurt, pain; evil, grief; insult," from Proto-Germanic *harmaz (cognates: Old Saxon harm, Old Norse harmr "grief, sorrow," Old Frisian herm "insult; pain," Old High German harm, German Harm "grief, sorrow, harm"), from PIE *kormo- "pain." To be in harm's way is from 1660s.
- harm (v.)
- Old English hearmian "to hurt, injure," from the noun (see harm (n.)). It has ousted Old English skeþþan (see scathe (v.)) in all but a few senses. Related: Harmed; harming.
Example
- 1. Some bankers fear it may harm innovation and competitiveness .
- 2. Who is it going to harm ?
- 3. Recently , the harm has been more noticeable .
- 4. Such well-meaning schemes may do more harm than good .
- 5. Engagement can do little harm .