Safe — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈsāf/

Meaning & Definition of Safe

Safe (adjective)

  1. free from harm or risk, unhurt
  2. secure from threat of danger, harm, or loss
  3. successful at getting to a base in baseball without being put out

Safe (noun)

  1. a place or receptacle to keep articles (such as valuables) safe
  2. condom

Safe (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not exposed to the threat of loss or injury

    "the minute the rain started, we looked for a place where we would be safe from a drenching downpour"

    similar: all right, alright, secure, home free
    related: hale, healthy, intact, sound, well, whole, scatheless, unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, unscathed
    opposite: endangered, exposed, imperiled, insecure, liable, open, subject (to), susceptible, threatened, unsafe, violable, vulnerable
    near: damaged, harmed, hurt, injured, scathed, wounded

  2. providing safety

    "we tried to find a safe place to hide our valuables while we went swimming"

    similar: secure, snug
    related: guarding, protecting, safeguarding, sheltering, shielding, defended, guarded, protected, sheltered, shielded, impregnable, inviolable, invulnerable, unassailable, unconquerable
    opposite: dangerous, hazardous, insecure, risky, unsafe
    near: menacing, minatory, parlous, perilous, threatening, undefended, unguarded, unprotected, vulnerable, precarious, treacherous, uncertain

  3. unlikely to provoke controversy or offense

    "when chatting with strangers, she prefers to stick to safe topics such as the weather"

    similar: noncontroversial, uncontroversial
    related: politically correct, hands-down, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, undeniable, unquestionable, irrefutable, certain, definite, positive, sure, uncontested, undisputed
    opposite: controversial, hot-button
    near: arguable, contestable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, moot, questionable, debated, disputed

  4. having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble

    "rewarded safe drivers with lower insurance rates"

    similar: alert, careful, cautious, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, wary
    related: advertent, attentive, awake, observant, regardful, vigilant, watchful, hypercautious, foresighted, foresightful, forethoughtful, provident, thoughtful, cagey, calculating, canny, shrewd, deliberate, slow, ultracareful, ultracautious
    opposite: careless, heedless, incautious, unguarded, unmindful, unsafe, unwary
    near: bold, brash, impetuous, rash, reckless, venturesome, asleep, inattentive, regardless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, lax, neglectful, negligent, remiss, imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious, absentminded, forgetful, inadvertent, unintentional, unplanned

  5. not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt

    "that pain reliever is safe for most people to take"

    similar: anodyne, benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, white
    related: healthful, healthy, salubrious, wholesome, benignant, sound, trustworthy, gentle, gracious, mild, nonthreatening, painless, unobjectionable, noncorrosive, nondestructive, nonfatal, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpoisonous, nonpolluting, nontoxic, nonvenomous
    opposite: adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked
    near: poisonous, venomous, menacing, ominous, sinister, threatening, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, unsound, nasty, noisome, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, offensive, painful, scathing, wounding, deadly, fatal, lethal, ruinous, destructive, insidious, malignant, noxious, pestilent, polluted, tainted

  6. worthy of one's trust

    "she always offers safe advice"

    similar: calculable, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, secure, solid, steady, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty
    related: constant, devoted, faithful, fast, loyal, staunch, steadfast, true-blue, honest, sincere, single-minded, infallible, unerring, bedrock, firm, sound, strong, effective, telling, attested, authenticated, confirmed, proven, valid, validated, verified, blameless, faultless, guiltless, impeccable, inerrant, irreproachable, unimpeachable, unquestionable
    opposite: dodgy (chiefly British), uncertain, undependable, unreliable, unsafe, untrustworthy
    near: disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue, deceitful, dishonest, lying, mendacious, untruthful, debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, fishy, problematic, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, uncertain, unsound, hazardous, risky, unconfirmed, untried

Safe (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a specially reinforced container to keep valuables safe

    "the hotel recommended that we keep all our valuables in its safe during our stay"

    similar: coffer, safe-deposit box, strongbox
    related: lockbox, vault, storeroom, treasury, box, caddy, case, casket, chest, footlocker, locker, trunk

Related Entry: Safe-deposit box (noun)

Safe-deposit box is a different word from Safe. The synonyms below are for safe-deposit box, not for safe.

  1. a specially reinforced container to keep valuables safe

    "kept the deed to the house in a safe-deposit box at the bank"

    similar: coffer, safe, strongbox
    related: lockbox, vault, storeroom, treasury, box, caddy, case, casket, chest, footlocker, locker, trunk

Related Entry: Safe sex (noun)

Safe sex is a different word from Safe. The synonyms below are for safe sex, not for safe.

  1. as in sex, sexual relations

    similar: coition, coitus, commerce, congress, copulating, copulation, coupling, intercourse, lovemaking, mating, relations, sex, sex act, sexual intercourse, sexual relations, carnality, sexuality, breeding, insemination, dalliance, hanky-panky, whoopee, fornication

Related Entry: Safe-deposit boxes (noun)

Safe-deposit boxes is a different word from Safe. The synonyms below are for safe-deposit boxes, not for safe.

  1. a specially reinforced container to keep valuables safe

    "kept the deed to the house in a safe-deposit box at the bank"

    similar: coffers, safes, strongboxes
    related: lockboxes, vaults, storerooms, treasuries, boxes, caddies, cases, caskets, chests, footlockers, lockers, trunks

Related Entry: Fail-safe (adjective)

Fail-safe is a different word from Safe. The synonyms below are for fail-safe, not for safe.

  1. not likely to fail

    "flowers have been traditionally regarded as the fail-safe gift for Valentine's Day"

    similar: can't-miss, certain, infallible, sure, surefire, unfailing
    related: dependable, reliable, deadly, unerring
    opposite: fallible
    near: doubtful, questionable, uncertain

Related Entry: Fail-safe (noun)

Fail-safe is a different word from Safe. The synonyms below are for fail-safe, not for safe.

  1. a measure taken to preclude loss or injury

    "there are so many fail-safes built into the system that a highly unlikely series of mistakes would have to be made before failure could occur"

    similar: caution, palladium, precaution, preventive, safeguard
    related: armor, cover, guard, protection, screen, shield, wall, ward

Related Entry: Pie safe (noun)

Pie safe is a different word from Safe. The synonyms below are for pie safe, not for safe.

  1. as in dresser, cuddy

    similar: cuddy, dresser, bookcase, breakfront, chest, china closet, credence, credenza, étagère, secretary, showcase, taboret, vitrine, armoire, clothespress, garderobe, wardrobe, buffet, cabinet, closet, console, cupboard, hutch, locker, press, sideboard, cabinetry, shelving

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Safe

The most common words with a similar meaning to Safe:

all right, alright, secure, snug, noncontroversial, uncontroversial, alert, careful, cautious, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, wary, anodyne, benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, white, calculable, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, solid, steady, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty, home free

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Safe

Words with the opposite meaning of Safe:

endangered, exposed, imperiled, insecure, liable, open, subject (to), susceptible, threatened, unsafe, violable, vulnerable, dangerous, hazardous, risky, controversial, hot-button, careless, heedless, incautious, unguarded, unmindful, unwary, adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, deleterious, detrimental

Related Words for Safe

hale, healthy, intact, sound, well, whole, scatheless, unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, unscathed, guarding, protecting, safeguarding, sheltering, shielding, defended, protected, sheltered, shielded, impregnable, inviolable, invulnerable, unassailable, unconquerable, politically correct, hands-down, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable

Near Antonyms of Safe

damaged, harmed, hurt, injured, scathed, wounded, menacing, minatory, parlous, perilous, threatening, undefended, unprotected, precarious, treacherous, arguable, contestable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, moot, questionable, debated, disputed, bold, brash, impetuous, rash

Word Forms of Safe

Inflections: safer, safest

Derived words: safe (adverb), safeness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Safe

Middle English sauf, from Anglo-French salf, sauf, from Latin salvus safe, healthy; akin to Latin solidus solid, Greek holos whole, safe, Sanskrit sarva entire

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Safe

Words & Phrases Containing Safe

safe-conduct, safe-deposit box, safe haven, safe house, safe sex, safe space, safe third country agreement, safe word

Frequently Asked Questions about Safe

What does "Safe" mean?

"Safe" means free from harm or risk, unhurt. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: free from harm or risk, unhurt. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Safe"?

Other words for "Safe" include all right, alright, secure, snug, noncontroversial, uncontroversial, alert and careful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Safe" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Safe"?

There are 166 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Safe". Common alternatives include all right, alright, secure, snug, noncontroversial, uncontroversial, alert, careful, cautious and chary.

What is the opposite of "Safe"?

Antonyms of "Safe" include endangered, exposed, imperiled, insecure, liable, open, subject (to) and susceptible. Near antonyms include damaged, harmed, hurt and injured.

How do you use "Safe" in a sentence?

Examples of "Safe" in a sentence: "the minute the rain started, we looked for a place where we would be safe from a drenching downpour"; "we tried to find a safe place to hide our valuables while we went swimming"; "when chatting with strangers, she prefers to stick to safe topics such as the weather".

Is "Safe" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Safe" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Safe" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Safe" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Safe"?

"Safe" is pronounced /ˈsāf/.