mild

[ mahyld ]

adjective

, mild·er, mild·est.

1. amiably gentle or temperate in feeling or behavior toward others.

   Synonyms: pleasant, soft

   Antonyms: forceful

2. characterized by or showing such gentleness, as manners or speech:

   a mild voice.

3. not cold, severe, or extreme, as air or weather:

   mild breezes.

   Synonyms: clement, moderate, temperate

   Antonyms: severe

4. not sharp, pungent, or strong:

   a mild flavor.

   Synonyms: bland

5. not acute or serious, as disease:

   a mild case of flu.

6. gentle or moderate in force or effect:

   mild penalties.

   Antonyms: harsh

7. soft; pleasant:

   mild sunshine.

8. moderate in intensity, degree, or character:

   mild regret.

9. British Dialect. comparatively soft and easily worked, as soil, wood, or stone.
10. Obsolete. kind or gracious.

noun

1. British. beer that has a blander taste than bitter.

mild

/ maɪld /

adjective

1. (of a taste, sensation, etc) not powerful or strong; bland

   a mild curry

2. gentle or temperate in character, climate, behaviour, etc
3. not extreme; moderate

   a mild rebuke

4. feeble; unassertive

noun

1. draught beer, of darker colour than bitter and flavoured with fewer hops

Derived Forms

• ˈmildness, noun
• ˈmildly, adverb

Other Words From

• mildly adverb
• mildness noun
• over·mild adjective
• semi·mild adjective
• semi·mildness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mild¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English milde; cognate with German mild; akin to Greek malthakós “soft”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mild¹

Old English milde; compare Old Saxon mildi, Old Norse mildr

Synonym Study

See gentle.

Example Sentences

LeBron James says his thoughts are with ‘my dear friend’ San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who recently suffered a mild stroke, ahead of Lakers-Spurs NBA Cup game.

From Los Angeles Times

LeBron James, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, said his thoughts Friday will be elsewhere when the Cup defense begins — and that’s the health of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who recently suffered a mild stroke.

From Los Angeles Times

The Spurs revealed earlier Wednesday that longtime coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke Nov. 2 at the team’s arena in the hours before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2022 she posted a video in which she claimed that the Biden administration was attempting to cover up the dangers posed by “pathogens” at “U.S.-funded biolabs” in that country—a sort of mild version of claims about secret Ukrainian biological-weapons development that were being circulated at the time by Carlson, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and the Russian state.

From Slate

Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich has been away from the team because he suffered a mild stroke earlier this month, the San Antonio Spurs announced.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• balmy
• benign
• bland
• breezy
• calm
• cool
• delicate
• mellow
• moderate
• peaceful
• smooth
• soft
• sunny
• tepid
• warm
• weak