do more harm than good

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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

See also: good, harm, more

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At first, he could give no encourage- ment; with unfeigned diffidence, he expressed his conviction that he was not adequate to the perform- ance of so great a task; the path marked out was wholly an untrodden one; he was sincerely appre- hensive that he should do more harm than good. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave by Douglass, Frederick View in context I must not ask him, for fear I shall do more harm than good, but I must somehow learn the facts of his journey abroad. Dracula by Stoker, Bram View in context			Do as I say, not as I do do away with do battle Do bears shit in the woods? do best do bidding do bit do by halves do credit to do damnedest do dirt do dirty work do double duty do drugs do duty as do good do head in do heart good do homework Do I have to spell it out? Do I make myself clear? do justice to do level best do me a favour Do me a favour! do more harm than good Do not wash your dirty linen in public do nut do one better do oneself proud do over do own thing do part do proud do share Do sit down do some fine coin do somehow by do somehow for do stuff do the business do the dirty on do the dirty work do the dishes do the hard way do the honors do the honours do the job do the rounds do the running do the trick			Do It Yourself IT Do It Yourself Network Do It Yourself Radio Control Do It Yourselfer do justice do justice do justice do justice do justice to do justice to do justice to do justice to do justice to Do Keep Up At the Back Do Know You do level best do level best do level best do level best do level best do level best do like do likewise Do loop Do Make Say Think do me a favor Do Me A Favor Buddy Do me a favor! Do me a favour Do me a favour! do more harm than good DO Multicarrier Multilink eXtensions Do My Jeans do no favors do no favors do no favours do no favours Do No Harm Do No Harm Do Not Abbreviate Do Not Admit Do Not Adopt Do Not Announce Do Not Answer Do Not Approve Do Not Ask Do Not Attempt Resuscitation Do Not Attempt Resuscitation Do Not Bring Your Own Booze Do Not Bug Me Do not call Do Not Call Implementation Act Do not call list Do Not Call Registry Do Not Call Registry Do Not Carry Do Not Change Do Not Click Here Do Not Cross Do Not Disclose

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