What Does "No Harm, No Foul" Mean?

Co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD

Last Updated: August 29, 2022 References

Maybe you’ve heard someone say “no harm, no foul” when you’ve stepped on the back of their shoe, or when you’ve accidentally bumped into them, but what does it mean? This tricky expression can be difficult to understand if you don’t have the right context – that’s where we come in! Continue reading for a breakdown of the meaning, origin, and usage of “no harm, no foul”.

Section 1 of 3:

What does “no harm, no foul” mean?

“No harm, no foul” means someone’s mistake didn’t cause any harm or damage.^{[1]
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Research source} This expression is usually said in a joking way to relieve someone of any stress they’re feeling about their missteps, and to assure them that there will be no consequences. These missteps can be anything from accidents or mistakes to a joke that landed poorly. The consequences avoided could be an apology or a punishment.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 3:

Origin of “No Harm, No Foul”

“No harm, no foul” originated from the rules of streetball. Streetball is similar to basketball and was frequently played in the 1950s. In streetball, if there was no physical harm done to a player, then there would be no foul called. A foul in this case, is an invalid or illegal action done by a player that would result in a penalty.^{[3]
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Research source} So, if one player shoved another, but the shoved player suffered no injuries, no foul would be called regardless of if it was accidental or on purpose.^{[4]
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Section 3 of 3:

How to Use “No Harm, No Foul”

1
Use “no harm, no foul” to excuse an accident or mistake. If someone makes a mistake or causes an accident, they’ll probably feel bad or guilty. To let them know everything is okay, and that there’s no real damage, you might say “No harm, no foul.”
- Your friend: “Oh no, I just realized I got you the wrong coffee! Ah! I’m so sorry.”
- You: “No harm, no foul! I’m just happy to have a coffee to wake me up!”
2
Use “no harm, no foul” to shake off a bad joke. If after telling a joke that rubs you the wrong way, your friend shows a lot of concern over hurting your feelings, you might say “Hey, no harm, no foul” to let them know that it’s okay and you’re not upset with them.
- Your friend: “Your hair kind of makes you look like Dora the Explorer today.”
- You: “Really? I thought it looked kind of nice.”
- Your friend: “Oh! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. It really does look nice. Are you upset?”
- You: “No, no. No harm, no foul. It was just a silly joke.”
3
Use “no harm, no foul” in a legal context. This expression can also refer to acts of misconduct or illegal behaviors where no one gets hurt. In a “no harm, no foul” situation, no legal action can be taken because there would be no physical injury to link back to.^{[5]
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- If someone backed their car into yours and drove away, but you and your car are uninjured, this would be a case of “no harm, no foul”. Although they committed a hit and run, which is illegal, because there was no damage, it doesn’t matter because you wouldn’t have been able to take legal action anyways.