inoffensiveness
inoffensiveness — 名詞
1. the quality of being unlikely to cause physical injury or damage to anyone or an
無害
不會造成傷害的性質
the quality of being unlikely to cause physical injury or damage to anyone or anything
The inoffensiveness of the new cleaner let Iris use it near her toddler.
這種新家用清潔劑的無害性，讓 Iris 可以在幼童身邊使用而不用擔心。
uncountable noun with of + noun phrase
Samir chose the playground for its inoffensiveness, knowing the soft surface would protect children from falls.
Samir 選擇這個遊樂場是因為它安全無害，柔軟的地面能保護孩子不摔傷。
Health inspectors praised the inoffensiveness of the packaging, which contained no dangerous chemicals.
衛生稽查員稱讚這款包裝的無害性，因為它不含任何危險化學物質。
register: formal evaluation contexts
A doctor confirmed the inoffensiveness of the herbal mixture before the family gave it to their son.
一位醫生確認了這種草藥混合物的無害性之後，這家人讓兒子服用了它。
- complete inoffensiveness
- physical inoffensiveness
- relative inoffensiveness
- harmlessness
more common in everyday language; less formal than inoffensiveness
- safety
broader term that also includes being protected from harm, not just causing none
- benignity
much more formal and rare; often used in medical or literary contexts
- harmfulness
direct opposite; the quality of causing injury or damage
- dangerousness
focuses on the potential to cause harm
用法筆記
This sense focuses on physical safety and is common in formal evaluations of products, materials, or substances. In everyday speech, 'harmlessness' is more frequent.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of being unlikely to cause an argument, disagreement, or angry react
平和
不挑起爭端的特質
the quality of being unlikely to cause an argument, disagreement, or angry reaction from other people
Hui valued the inoffensiveness of the dinner-table topics, which avoided politics and religion.
Hui 很重視餐桌話題的平和性，這些話題避開了政治與宗教。
The inoffensiveness of Nora's blog posts attracted readers who were tired of heated online arguments.
Nora 部落格文章的和緩風格，吸引了厭倦網路激烈論戰的讀者。
collocation: inoffensiveness of [something]
Kofi's inoffensiveness during the meeting helped reduce tension between the two departments.
Kofi 在會議上態度平和，有助於緩和兩個部門之間的緊張關係。
possessive + inoffensiveness (someone's quality)
The inoffensiveness of the proposal meant both political parties were willing to support it.
這項提案的平和特質，讓兩個政黨都願意支持它。
Mateo's natural inoffensiveness during team debates kept the conversation productive and free of personal attacks.
Mateo 在團隊討論時態度平和、不攻擊他人，讓對話既能有效率又不會傷和氣。
possessive + inoffensiveness as a personal quality
- political inoffensiveness
- social inoffensiveness
- deliberate inoffensiveness
- peaceableness
stronger emphasis on actively avoiding conflict rather than just being not provocative
- gentleness
softer connotation; implies kindness rather than mere neutrality
- unobtrusiveness
focuses on not drawing attention rather than not causing argument
- provocativeness
the quality of deliberately causing strong reactions
- aggressiveness
stronger, implies hostile or forceful behaviour
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (HARMLESS): sense 2 describes social or emotional impact — avoiding offense, arguments, or conflict — whereas sense 1 concerns physical injury or damage. Often used to describe a person's manner, comments, written works, or proposals.
常見錯誤
3. the quality of being not unpleasant, annoying, or disturbing to any of the sense
不礙感官
不讓感官感到不適的特性
the quality of being not unpleasant, annoying, or disturbing to any of the senses — for example, a colour that does not hurt the eyes, a sound that does not irritate the ears, or a smell that does not cause discomfort
The inoffensiveness of the beige walls in the clinic helped patients feel calm during their visits.
診所米色牆壁的不刺眼色調，有助於病人在就診時保持平靜。
collocation: inoffensiveness of [colour/material] — sensory sight context
Darius chose the air freshener for its inoffensiveness — a faint lavender scent that did not trigger his allergies.
Darius 選擇這款空氣清新劑是因為它不刺激感官——淡淡的薰衣草香不會引發他的過敏。
The inoffensiveness of the ambient music at the Muji store in Taipei let customers shop for hours without irritation.
台北無印良品店裡的背景音樂柔和而不干擾，讓顧客逛上好幾個小時也不覺得煩躁。
Sivan liked the fabric for its inoffensiveness to the skin, making it suitable for babies with sensitive skin.
Sivan 很喜歡這種布料對皮膚的無刺激性，非常適合肌膚敏感的嬰兒使用。
pattern: inoffensiveness to [body part / sense]
- visual inoffensiveness
- sensory inoffensiveness
- inoffensiveness to the skin
- blandness
can have a negative connotation of being boring or uninteresting
- neutrality
broader term; can also refer to non-sensory contexts like politics
- unobtrusiveness
focuses on not drawing attention rather than sensory pleasantness
- offensiveness
direct opposite in all three senses
- unpleasantness
broader antonym; covers all sensory discomfort
用法筆記
Commonly used with sensory-specific descriptions — sight ('inoffensiveness of the colour'), smell ('inoffensiveness of the scent'), sound ('inoffensiveness of the noise'), or touch ('inoffensiveness to the skin'). The preposition 'to' specifies which sense is involved.
常見錯誤
同根字
- inoffensive形容詞B2
- inoffensively副詞C1
- offensive形容詞B2
- offense名詞B2
- offend動詞B2