Meanings
- idiomaticAlthough technically a breach of some code or law may have occurred, there was no actual damage meriting punishment, apology or retribution.
He parked in my space, but I was away at the time: no harm, no foul.
Synonyms: NHNF, injuria sine damno
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseAlthough technically a breach of some code or law may have occurred, there was no actual damage meriting punishment, apology or retribution.
Origin
From informal instances of sports, in which a foul is a formal violation of the rules.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
no harm, no foul. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20harm%2C%20no%20foul
“no harm, no foul.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20harm%2C%20no%20foul. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “no harm, no foul,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20harm%2C%20no%20foul.
Source: no harm, no foul on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.