innocently
innocently — adjective
1. not having broken a law or committed a crime that the legal system punishes
not having broken a law or committed a crime that the legal system punishes
The jury found the defendant innocent of all charges after a short trial.
passive: be found innocent of [charges]
Liam was proven innocent when the real thief confessed to the robbery.
Samir was presumed innocent of the fraud charges because the police had no direct evidence against him.
The lawyer argued that her client was innocent and had been at home when the theft happened.
- not guilty
the exact legal verdict; more formal than 'innocent'
- blameless
stronger moral tone; suggests no responsibility at all
- guiltless
less common; used in literary or formal contexts
- guilty
found to have committed a crime
文法句型
be innocent + of + noun/phrase
find + someone + innocent
用法筆記
Often used in passive constructions: someone is found innocent, proven innocent, or presumed innocent.
常見錯誤
2. morally good and free from sin or wrongdoing, especially because of not knowing
morally good and free from sin or wrongdoing, especially because of not knowing about evil
The young child had an innocent heart and had never told a single lie.
collocation: innocent heart
Elena grew up in a small mountain village and remained innocent of the cruelty in the world.
In the old Japanese folktale, the young princess was an innocent soul who tamed the wild fox spirit with kindness.
The nuns led a simple, innocent life devoted to prayer and helping the poor.
Fumi smiled with innocent joy when she saw the puppies for the first time.
用法筆記
This sense is about actual moral purity, not appearance. Distinguish from sense 6 (PURE APPEARANCE), which describes how something looks or seems rather than its actual moral state.
常見錯誤
3. not meant or likely to cause any physical harm, damage, or bad feelings
not meant or likely to cause any physical harm, damage, or bad feelings
Rosa laughed and said it was just an innocent joke that nobody should take seriously.
collocation: innocent joke / innocent remark
The little dog barked loudly but was completely innocent and loved to play with children.
What started as an innocent remark about the neighbour's new fence led to a tense argument between the two families.
Tariq's mother took one look at the tiny scratch on his knee and said it was innocent enough not to need a bandage.
The children played an innocent game of tag in the garden all afternoon.
- harmless
direct synonym; slightly more neutral in tone
- benign
more formal; often describes medical conditions or intentions
- inoffensive
focuses on not causing bad feelings
常見錯誤
4. having little experience of the world, so that you trust people too easily or do
having little experience of the world, so that you trust people too easily or do not recognize bad intentions
Diego was so innocent that he believed every promise the stranger made at the market.
pattern: so + innocent + that-clause
Wei gave an innocent look when her roommate asked who had eaten the last slice of cake.
collocation: innocent look
The city traders took advantage of the innocent visitors who had just arrived from the countryside.
Only an innocent person would believe the salesman's claim that the ten-year-old car had never had any engine trouble.
- worldly
having a lot of experience of life
- suspicious
tending to distrust others
用法筆記
Can have a negative or critical tone — calling someone 'innocent' in this sense suggests they should be more careful or sceptical.
常見錯誤
5. not having a particular quality, feature, or thing that might be expected
not having a particular quality, feature, or thing that might be expected
The old study was dusty and innocent of any adornment, its bare walls lined with empty shelves.
grammar pattern: innocent of [noun] meaning 'without'
His face was innocent of any expression, so nobody could guess what he was thinking.
The report was innocent of useful information and told management nothing new.
Lucia writes in a style that is innocent of unnecessary words and gets straight to the point.
文法句型
innocent + of + noun
用法筆記
This is a formal, literary construction. 'Innocent of' here means 'completely without' or 'lacking'. It is not about morality.
常見錯誤
6. having a look, sound, or quality that makes you think of purity, simplicity, and
having a look, sound, or quality that makes you think of purity, simplicity, and goodness
The baby's innocent smile made everyone in the waiting room forget their worries.
collocation: innocent smile
Emeka loved the innocent charm of the old fishing village where he spent his summers.
collocation: innocent charm
The little girl hummed an innocent tune to herself as she picked wildflowers in the meadow.
The old photograph captured the innocent beauty of children playing in a sunny field.
Qing painted the scene with innocent colours that made everything look fresh and new.
- pure-looking
describes appearance only
- angelic
suggests a very pure, almost holy appearance
- sweet
informal; kind and pleasant in appearance
- guilty-looking
appearing to have done something wrong
- sinister
giving the impression that something bad will happen
用法筆記
This sense describes how something appears — a smile, a look, or a place that seems innocent. It does NOT mean the person or thing is actually morally pure. Distinguish from sense 2 (PURE), which describes actual moral state.
常見錯誤
innocently — adverb
1. in a way that shows you are not responsible for a crime or wrongdoing, especiall
in a way that shows you are not responsible for a crime or wrongdoing, especially when someone questions or suspects you
When the detective asked about the missing money, the cashier replied innocently that she had locked it away.
replied innocently + that-clause for denying wrongdoing
The taxi driver shrugged innocently when the passenger accused him of overcharging.
modifies gesture verb: shrugged innocently
Standing by the broken vase, the young boy looked at his mother innocently and shook his head.
'The window was already cracked when I arrived,' the student said innocently to the head teacher.
Andre looked the security guard in the eye and said innocently, 'I have a receipt for every single item in this bag.'
- blamelessly
slightly more formal; emphasises the absence of fault rather than the appearance of innocence
- without guilt
a phrase rather than a single adverb; used mainly in legal or moral contexts
- guiltily
suggests the person looks or sounds as if they know they did something wrong
2. caught up in a dangerous or harmful situation through no fault of your own, with
caught up in a dangerous or harmful situation through no fault of your own, without doing anything to cause it
The young mother was standing innocently at the bus stop when the car jumped the pavement.
passive with position verb: was standing innocently + when [sudden event]
Children played innocently on the playground while police chased a suspect through the nearby street.
A delivery driver caught innocently in the middle of the street fight had his van damaged.
The shopkeeper watched innocently as the argument between the two customers turned violent.
Several tourists were injured innocently when the bomb exploded near the hotel entrance.
- through no fault of one's own
a longer phrase that states the lack of responsibility directly; more formal
- deliberately
suggests the person intended to be in the situation
用法筆記
This sense typically appears in narratives about accidents, crimes, or conflicts where the subject is affected but did not participate. Frequently paired with passive constructions or verbs of position (standing, sitting, waiting).
常見錯誤
3. showing that you know little about real life, so you fail to recognise danger, h
showing that you know little about real life, so you fail to recognise danger, harmful people, or bad behaviour when you meet them
The young backpacker innocently believed every story the other travellers told at the hostel.
modifies verb of thinking: innocently believed
The young traveller gave her passport to a stranger innocently, without considering the risk.
The student innocently thought the exam would be easy just because the teacher had smiled.
'Will the other children be nice to me?' the little girl asked innocently on her first day at school.
The old woman innocently handed her purse to a man at the market who offered to carry her bags.
- naively
stronger emphasis on inexperience; can be more critical
- trustingly
focuses on the willingness to trust rather than the lack of knowledge
- unsuspectingly
emphasises that the person did not expect danger or deception
- suspiciously
shows the person is alert to possible danger or deception
- knowingly
suggests the person is aware of the truth or the risks
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT GUILTY): here there is no accusation or crime — the person simply lacks worldly experience. Often carries a gentle tone of criticism or sympathy from the speaker.
常見錯誤
4. done or said with no intention to upset, offend, or hurt anyone, even if the res
done or said with no intention to upset, offend, or hurt anyone, even if the result causes a problem
The young journalist meant the remark innocently, but his editor took it as a personal insult.
verb pattern: meant [statement] innocently
The little boy asked innocently why the pensioner lived alone, not knowing she had recently lost her husband.
A customer commented innocently on the baker's accent, not realising it was a sensitive topic.
The dinner guest meant the joke innocently, not knowing that the host's sister had recently divorced her husband.
The receptionist touched the client's shoulder innocently during the conversation, but he misunderstood the gesture.
- harmlessly
very close in meaning; slightly stronger emphasis on the lack of harmful effect
- inoffensively
more formal; focuses on not causing offence
- without malice
a phrase that clearly states the absence of bad intent
- maliciously
shows the action was intended to cause harm
- deliberately
suggests the person meant the result, even if not harmful per se
用法筆記
This sense often appears in situations where a well-meaning action or comment backfires. It contrasts with sense 3 (NAIVELY) in that the focus is on the speaker's intention rather than their lack of world knowledge — the person may be fully experienced but simply not mean any harm.
常見錯誤
innocently — noun
1. a person, especially a young child, whose life is free from moral wrongdoing or
a person, especially a young child, whose life is free from moral wrongdoing or sin and who is seen as pure and untouched by evil
The old painting showed a young innocent praying with clasped hands in the candlelit chapel.
countable noun: a young innocent + verb
Mrs. Nakamura smiled at the little innocents playing quietly with wooden blocks on the floor.
plural form: the little innocents + verb
The villagers gathered at the temple to pray for the innocents who had died in the flood, believing their souls were at peace.
The villagers believed that only an innocent could enter the sacred cave without fear.
Binta remembered the days when she was still an innocent, before the war took everything from her.
用法筆記
This sense often appears in religious, artistic, or nostalgic contexts that emphasise moral purity. Distinguish from sense 3 (WRONGED PERSON), which is about situational blamelessness in a specific harmful event rather than an overall state of moral innocence.
常見錯誤
2. a person who lacks life experience and worldly knowledge, so they tend to trust
a person who lacks life experience and worldly knowledge, so they tend to trust others too easily and do not see hidden dangers or bad intentions
The older students saw the new exchange student as an innocent who would believe any story.
noun as object complement: saw [someone] as an innocent
Fumi entered the big city as an innocent, amazed by every bright advertisement and flashing sign.
Guo's colleagues took advantage of the young innocent fresh out of university.
The film follows a small-town innocent who moves to New York hoping to become an actress.
Nadia was no longer an innocent after her first year working at the busy night market.
- naive person
more direct and less affectionate; can be critical
- greenhorn
informal; refers to someone new to a job or activity
- novice
focuses on lack of skill or knowledge in a specific area rather than general life experience
用法筆記
This sense usually carries a slightly sympathetic tone — the speaker views the person as vulnerable rather than foolish. Common in coming-of-age stories and descriptions of young people moving to unfamiliar environments.
常見錯誤
3. a person who did not cause or deserve the bad thing that happens to them, such a
a person who did not cause or deserve the bad thing that happens to them, such as an injury, punishment, or loss caused by others
The jury decided that the woman on trial was an innocent and released her immediately.
The explosion killed several innocents who were simply buying vegetables at the outdoor market.
plural: several innocents + relative clause
Xin's family were innocents caught in a conflict they had no part in starting.
The general ordered his soldiers to avoid harming any innocents during the night raid.
The airstrike hit a residential street at midnight, killing several innocents who had been sleeping in their homes.
- innocent party
legal term; more formal and precise in lawsuits or disputes
- innocent victim
combines both concepts for clarity; more common in news reporting
- bystander
focuses on someone who was present but not involved, though not necessarily innocent of wrongdoing
- perpetrator
the person who caused the harm
- guilty party
the person responsible for the wrongdoing
用法筆記
Frequently appears in plural form (innocents) in news reports, legal contexts, and discussions of war or crime. Distinguish from sense 1 (SINLESS SOUL), where innocence is about moral purity rather than lack of fault in a specific harmful event.