harm

I UK [hɑː(r)m] / US [hɑrm] noun [uncountable] **

injury, damage, or problems caused by something that you do

projects that lead to environmental harm

do/cause (someone) harm:

Eating sweets occasionally doesn't do children any harm.

The new law is likely to do irreparable harm in urban areas.

The "low levels" of cyanide in the river were sufficient to cause harm to aquatic life.

•

it wouldn't do (someone) any harm — mainly spoken used for saying what you think someone should do

It wouldn't do you any harm to listen to her advice.

no harm comes to someone/something= someone/something comes to no harm — used for saying that someone or something is not damaged, hurt, or badly affected

I'll try to look after him and see that he comes to no harm.

there's no harm in (doing) something= something does no harm — used for saying that something will not cause any problems and may be helpful

There's no harm in asking.

- do more harm than good

- in harm's way

- mean no harm

- no harm done

- out of harm's way

II UK [hɑː(r)m] / US [hɑrm] verb [transitive]
Word forms "harm":
present tense I/you/we/they harm he/she/it harms present participle harming past tense harmed past participle harmed
*

to injure, damage, or have a bad effect on someone or something

He was not the type to deliberately harm his child.

Does watching violence on TV really harm children?

Publication of those documents would harm the national interest.

The government insists that the dam will not harm the environment.

•

- it wouldn't harm someone to do something

- not to harm a hair on someone's head