inoffensive

IPA/ˌɪnəˈfensɪv/
KK[ˌɪnəfˈɛnsɪv]IPA/ˌɪnəˈfensɪv/

inoffensive — 形容詞

  • inoffensivepositive
  • more inoffensivecomparative
  • most inoffensivesuperlative

1. not causing anger, annoyance, or discomfort; mild or neutral, and avoiding topic

1.形容詞B2
釋義

不會冒犯人的

不會引起反感或不快的

not causing anger, annoyance, or discomfort; mild or neutral, and avoiding topics or qualities that might upset others.

例句

Qing chose an inoffensive topic — the weather — so that no one at dinner would feel upset.

Qing 選了一個不會冒犯人的話題當作晚宴的話題。

attributive use: inoffensive + noun (topic)

The landscape painting in the hospital lobby was pleasant but inoffensive — nothing to shock anyone.

醫院大廳那幅風景畫賞心悅目卻不冒犯人——沒有什麼會嚇到人的內容。

常見搭配
  • inoffensive topic
  • inoffensive joke
  • inoffensive remark
  • inoffensive colour
  • inoffensive shade
  • inoffensive smell
  • inoffensive background music
  • inoffensive conversation
同義詞
  • harmless

    stronger focus on safety/danger rather than offence; 'inoffensive' is about feelings while 'harmless' can also mean physically safe

  • innocuous

    more formal, emphasises that something is unlikely to cause any reaction at all — slightly narrower than inoffensive

  • unobjectionable

    formal and more passive — simply means nobody has a reason to oppose it; less common in everyday use

  • mild

    overlaps in describing tastes, colours, or criticism, but 'mild' can also mean 'not strong' physically (e.g. mild cheese), which 'inoffensive' does not

反義詞
  • offensive

    direct opposite; causes anger or upset

  • objectionable

    stronger disapproval, suggests active rejection rather than mere discomfort

  • provocative

    intended to cause a reaction, often deliberately so

文法句型

be inoffensive

inoffensive + noun

用法筆記

Often used in descriptions of decor, colours, smells, jokes, and conversation topics. Less common than the antonym offensive; learners may encounter it more in writing than in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

His speech was very inoffensive' (vague).
His speech was carefully worded to be inoffensive.
Inoffensive is rarely used alone with 'very'; pair it with context showing what made it unobjectionable.
She said something inoffensive to me.
She made an inoffensive remark about the weather.
'Inoffensive' typically modifies the thing said, not the person receiving it.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配