Innocuous — A Vocabulary Story
An Innocuous Christmas Wish
It was just a few days before Christmas, and the Bennett family was gathered around their dinner table in their cozy home in Kent. The table was set with all their favourite festive dishes, and everyone was chatting happily about the upcoming holiday.
Eight-year-old Oliver, the youngest in the family, looked up with a hopeful grin. "I hope we get some snow this Christmas!" he said cheerfully. It was such an innocuous wish — just a little boy dreaming of a white Christmas.
Innocuous means not harmful or offensive.
But his older brother, Thomas, suddenly looked uneasy. Their mother, Mrs. Bennett, noticed right away. "Thomas, love, it was just an innocent little wish from your brother. Why the long face?"
Thomas sighed. "I know it's innocuous, Mum, but remember two Christmases ago? We were supposed to travel, and the snow cancelled our flight. We lost our whole trip because of the weather. And this year, my friend is coming to visit us for Christmas. If it snows like that again, he might not make it. I just really want clear weather this time."
Mrs. Bennett smiled gently. "Oh, Thomas, I understand. But not every snowfall causes that kind of trouble. Your brother's request to Santa is really quite innocuous. How about we tell Santa that the snow can wait until after your friend arrives? Would that be all right?"
Thomas chuckled and nodded. "Yes, that would be perfect. As long as my friend gets here first, the snow can be as innocuous as it wants after that."
And so they all laughed and agreed. Little Oliver was delighted to keep his wish for a white Christmas—just a slightly delayed one. After all, a bit of snow after a friend's safe arrival would be the most innocuous and magical ending to their Christmas wish.
Word Definition
innocuous
meaning
not harmful or offensive
synonyms
innocent · benign · banal · bland · painless
antonyms
adverse · dangerous · bad
example sentence
The virus was found to be relatively innocuous in humans.