ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›B›benign
ISEE/SSAThard
benign
gentle and harmless, not threatening
Synonyms
- harmless
- mild
- innocuous
Antonyms
- malignant
- harmful
benign in a sentence
The doctor reassured her that the small growth was benign.
The lab results confirmed the mole was benign, so no treatment was needed.
Where it comes from
From Latin benignus 'kind, well-born'
Memory hook
BEN-IGN — imagine kind Ben who would never IGNite trouble.
Word parts
- ben/bene — good, helpful
benign: beni- (good) + gn (born, kind)
Read it in context
- The Archive in Wood Science