- do more harm than good
- If the effect of an action is more damaging than helpful, it does more harm than good.
Giving him money did more harm than good - he spent it on alcohol.
English Idioms & idiomatic expressions. 2014.
do more harm than good
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do more harm than good — phrase to make a situation worse instead of better Strenuous exercise can often do more harm than good. Thesaurus: to make something worsesynonym Main entry: harm * * * inadvertently make a situation worse rather than better … Useful english dictionary
do more harm than good — ► used to say that an action is not helpful and could make a situation worse: »Suspending payments on government debts would do more harm than good. Main Entry: ↑harm … Financial and business terms
do more harm than good — to be damaging rather than helpful. Giving children too much freedom often does more harm than good. Usage notes: usually said about things that are intended to be helpful but do not have a good result … New idioms dictionary
do more harm than good — to make a situation worse instead of better Strenuous exercise can often do more harm than good … English dictionary
harm — Ⅰ. harm UK US /hɑːm/ noun [C or U] ► damage done to something: »The board failed to prove irreparable harm in its suit against the council. »The harms associated with climate change are serious and well recognized. not do (any) harm to sb/sth… … Financial and business terms
good — good1 [ gud ] (comparative better [ betər ] ; superlative best [ best ] ) adjective *** ▸ 1 of high quality/standard ▸ 2 able to do something well ▸ 3 with qualities to do something ▸ 4 honest & morally correct ▸ 5 giving pleasant feeling ▸ 6… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
good — 1 /gUd/ adjective comparative better, superlative best /best/ 1 OF A HIGH STANDARD of a high standard: a good reputation | a good quality cloth | a good Muslim | This book is not as good as her last one. | His test scores were good, but hers were … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
harm — harm1 S3 [ha:m US ha:rm] n [U] [: Old English; Origin: hearm] 1.) damage, injury, or trouble caused by someone s actions or by an event ▪ Modern farming methods have done considerable harm to the countryside. ▪ Socks that are too tight can cause… … Dictionary of contemporary English
harm — 1 noun (U) 1 damage, injury, or trouble caused by someone s actions or by an event: do harm to: Modern farming methods have done considerable harm to the countryside. | do more harm than good (=cause even more problems rather than improving the… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
harm — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, great, serious, untold (esp. BrE) ▪ He was clearly intent on inflicting serious harm on someone. ▪ irreparable, lasting … Collocations dictionary
