[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/inoffensive.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / inoffensive

[← I](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/I/)

# inoffensive

«inoffensive» in Mova's school dictionary: **Not likely to upset, annoy or offend anyone; harmless** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (inoffensive, more inoffensive)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Not likely to upset, annoy or offend anyone; harmless. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#m1)

2) Pleasant but rather dull or ordinary: an inoffensive colour. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life: an inoffensive joke, an inoffensive little animal, an inoffensive beige wall. In stories it can describe a quiet, harmless character, sometimes unfairly picked on. Phrases: quite inoffensive, perfectly inoffensive, a mild inoffensive man.

### examples

- The joke was inoffensive, so everyone laughed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#x1)
- Grass snakes are inoffensive and won't hurt you. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#x2)
- He was a quiet, inoffensive boy who never caused trouble. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#x3)
- They painted the room an inoffensive cream. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#x4)
- It's better to pick an inoffensive team name. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#x5)
- The puppy was inoffensive, just very excited. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/#x6)

### note

Opposite: «offensive». «Inoffensive» can be praise (harmless) or mild criticism (boring).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «inoffensive» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inoffensive/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.