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

Temperatures have fallen a few degrees in the last hour, from 35 to 40 to 33 to 38, but are still too mild for accumulation on paved surfaces.

From Washington Post

It’s clear, in other words, that our understanding of the long-term effects of mild cold exposure is still pretty murky.

From Outside Online

Areas near the Pennsylvania border might see snow, but the rest of the area probably would see a light mix to rain event as mild air is drawn into the region at low levels.

From Washington Post

My health, if not as precarious as Truffles’s, is such that if I contract covid-19, it is unlikely to be a mild case.

From Washington Post

Early data from a small study—not yet peer reviewed—suggest the vaccine could offer “minimal protection” against mild Covid-19 caused by a local coronavirus variant.

From Quartz

Francis is well into his seventies, looks it, has a mild demeanor and soft speaking style; but his rhetoric is electrifying.

From The Daily Beast

The new term denotes a spectrum of problem drinking that can range from mild to moderate to severe.

From The Daily Beast

TBIs can range anywhere from a mild concussion to catastrophic, fatal damage.

From The Daily Beast

And look at how mild her phrasing was: The South “has not always been the friendliest place” for black people.

From The Daily Beast

But the unknown potential health risks seem like a mild annoyance, if that, to Deen.

From The Daily Beast

She looked from the picture to her daughter, with a frightful glare, in their before mild aspect.

From Project Gutenberg

Instead of writing slander and flat blasphemy, they propose to draw it, and not draw it mild.

From Project Gutenberg

During his mild régime the insurrection increased rapidly, and in one encounter he himself was very near falling a prisoner.

From Project Gutenberg

A mild degree means that the body is not reacting well, or else that the infection is too slight to call forth much resistance.

From Project Gutenberg

Being a mild sort of person, Mr. Meadow Mouse thanked Mrs. Robin politely, both for the message and for the advice.p.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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