Adjective

(en adjective)

Capable]] of [[soothe, soothing or eliminating pain.

* 1847 , Littell's Living Age , number 161, 12 June 1847, in Volume 13, page 483:

Many a time has the vapor of ether been inhaled for the relief of oppressed lungs; many a time has the sought relief been thus obtained; and just so many times has the discovery of the wonderful anodyne properties of this gas, as affecting all bodily suffering, been brushed past and overlooked.

* 1910 , Edward L. Keyes, Diseases of the Genito-Urinary Organs , page 211:

The citrate is the most efficient as an alkali, but irritates some stomachs, the liquor the most anodyne , the acetate the most diuretic.

(figuratively) Soothing or relaxing.

Classical music is rather anodyne .

Noncontentious, blandly agreeable, unlikely to cause offence or debate; bland, inoffensive.

* 2003 , The Guardian , 20 May 2003:

It all became so routine, so anodyne , so dull.

* 2010 , "Rattled", The Economist , 9 Dec 2010:

States typically like to stick to anodyne messages, like saving wildflowers or animals. But every so often a controversy crops up.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Harmless; producing no ill effect.

* 1892 , , A Footnote to History , ch. 9:

The shells fell for the most part innocuous ; an eyewitness saw children at play beside the flaming houses; not a soul was injured.

* 1910 , , The Lair of the White Worm , ch. 11:

Other things, too, there were, not less deadly though seemingly innocuous —dried fungi, traps intended for birds, beasts, fishes, reptiles, and insects.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=September 2 , author= , title=Wales 2-1 Montenegro , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=As the half closed Bale and Ledley both went close with good efforts, but Bellamy picked up a yellow card for an innocuous challenge that also rules the new Liverpool man out of the trip to Wembley.}}

Inoffensive; unprovocative; not exceptional.

* 1893 , , Mrs. Falchion , ch. 12:

Ruth Devlin announced that the song must wait, though it appeared to be innocuous and child-like in its sentiments.

* 1910 , , The Intrusion of Jimmy , ch. 28:

He sat down, and lighted a cigarette, casting about the while for an innocuous topic of conversation.