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harm

harmverb

American /hɑrm/ British /hɑːm/ Harm rhymes with farm and arm.

third-person singular harms past tense harmed past participle harmed present participle harming

very commondefining vocabulary

hurt someone or damage something
transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]
- He would never harm anyone. V + obj
- These chemicals can harm the environment. V + obj
- Too much sun can harm your skin. V + obj
- The scandal seriously harmed her chances of winning. V + obj
Collocations
verb + noun harm the environment, harm your health, harm someone's chances, harm a child
adverb + verb seriously harm, badly harm, never harm
Synonyms hurt; damage; injure

Word family

harm
harmful
harmless

Usage

Harm is a little more formal than hurt. It is common for damage to health, the environment, or someone's chances, and less common for pain in a particular part of the body: My back hurts, not My back harms.