benign
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
kind, gentle, and not likely to hurt anyone.
of a mild, kind, or gentle disposition; showing a lack of hostility.
Simple“The old man had a benign smile that made the children feel safe.”
In context“Despite his imposing physical presence, the professor possessed a benign temperament that encouraged even the most timid students to participate in class discussions.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
not dangerous to your health; specifically, a growth that is not cancer.
not malignant; describing a tumour or condition that does not invade surrounding tissue or spread throughout the body.
Simple“The doctor called with the good news that the lump was benign.”
In context“The biopsy results confirmed that the growth was benign, significantly relieving the patient's anxiety regarding the necessity of aggressive chemotherapy.”
UsageUsually used to describe tumours, growths, or test results.
- 03 C1 Advanced
mild and pleasant, especially when talking about weather or effects.
having a kindly or favourable effect; mild in influence or climate.
Simple“The island enjoys a benign climate with warm sun and gentle breezes.”
In context“Economists argued that the benign market conditions of the previous decade were unlikely to persist in the face of rising interest rates.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
not harmful to the environment.
having little or no detrimental impact on the natural environment.
Simple“The company is looking for a more benign way to dispose of its waste.”
In context“The research team focused on developing environmentally benign polymers that would degrade naturally without releasing toxic by-products into the soil.”
UsageOften appears in the compound 'environmentally benign'.
“They studied the movement of cells from benign tumors and cells of increasing malignancy.”
“The self-discovery that travel can bring is not always benign.”
From Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.