harm



it wouldn't do (someone) any harm (to do something)

It would or may be good, pragmatic, or beneficial for someone (to do something). You know, it wouldn't do you any harm to comb your hair from time to time. I know that the managers are trying to cut costs, but it wouldn't do them any harm to treat us to a staff lunch every once in a while. Jonathan should try and spend more time with his mother. It wouldn't do him any harm, after all.
See also: any, harm

there is no harm in (someone's) doing (something)

Doing something may be good, pragmatic, or beneficial, and will not cause any problems or harm. The contractor might not be willing to go any lower on the price, but there's no harm in asking. Sure, you might not be accepted for the PhD program, but there's no harm in your trying, is there?
See also: harm

it does no harm (for someone) to do (something)

Doing something may be good, pragmatic, or beneficial, and will not cause any problems or harm. The contractor might not be willing to go any lower on the price, but it does no harm to ask. Sure, you might not be accepted for the PhD program, but it does no harm for you to try, does it?
See also: does, harm

come to harm

to experience something bad; to get damaged or harmed. I sincerely hope that you do not come to harm. I hope no one comes to harm.
See also: come, harm

*in harm's way

Fig. liable to be harmed; subject to potential causes of harm. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; put someone ~.) Soldiers are expected to know what to do when they are in harm's way.
See also: way

No harm done.

It is all right. No one or nothing has been harmed. It's okay. No harm done. A: I am sorry I stepped on your toe. B: No harm done.
See also: done, harm

*out of harm's way

Fig. not liable to be harmed; away from any causes of harm. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; get someone ~.) We should try to get all the civilians out of harm's way.
See also: of, out, way

do more harm than good

to be damaging rather than helpful Giving children too much freedom often does more harm than good.
Usage notes: usually said about things that are intended to be helpful but do not have a good result
See also: good, harm, more

no harm, no foul

there is no problem if no serious damage was done In his excitement, he deleted all the files, but they were restored later from a backup copy - no harm, no foul.
Etymology: from the use of this phrase in basketball (a sport) to say that if an action that is against the rules has no effect on the results of the game, there should be no foul (punishment)
See also: foul

wouldn't harm/hurt a fly

if you say that someone wouldn't hurt a fly, you mean that they are a gentle person and that they would not do anything to injure or upset anyone Damian just isn't the violent type. He wouldn't hurt a fly.
See fly the flag, let fly, fly the nest
See also: fly, harm

harm a hair on somebody's head

to hurt someone (often negative) He adores the girl - he wouldn't harm a hair on her head. If he so much as harms a hair on her head, I won't be responsible for my actions.
See wouldn't harm a fly
See also: hair, harm, head, on

do someone wrong

Also, do someone damage or harm . Injure someone; be unfaithful or disloyal; act unjustly or unfairly toward someone. For example, John's done me wrong, and I intend to tell him so, or She did him real damage when she started that rumor: The first term dates from the late 1300s; the substitutions of damage and harm are newer. However, while these locutions are still current, a more common modern usage is to turn them into verbal phrases-that is, wrong someone, harm someone, damage someone.
See also: wrong

out of harm's way

In a safe condition or place, as in We fenced the yard to keep the children out of harm's way. This idiom was first recorded about 1661.
See also: of, out, way

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Benigna-Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Late Roman
VanamoVAH-nah-moFinnish
Ceolmund-Anglo-Saxon
Vega['vi:gə]
Emel-Turkish
Ragnhild-Swedish, Norwegian, Danish