mild

American  

[mahyld] / maɪld /

adjective

milder, mildest

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.

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noun

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

mild British  

/ 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

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noun

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

Related Words

See gentle.

Other Word Forms

• mildly adverb
• mildness noun
• overmild adjective
• semimild adjective
• semimildness noun

Etymology

Origin of mild

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

Example Sentences

Now, “forecasts turned milder, erasing last week’s weather‑driven gains,” ING analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal

In contrast, PRV infections reported in nearby countries have often been milder.

From Science Daily

However, milder symptoms such as soreness and fatigue are far more common and often cause patients to stop taking the medication.

From Science Daily

Instead, he has more generically invoked the example of former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, who in the mid-1990s held off on raising interest rates as the economy expanded steadily because inflation pressures were mild.

From The Wall Street Journal

Despite the presence of mild frost on the part of Mira, whose face intermittently flickers with anxiety, disorientation and more deeply buried feelings, she and Beckett have accepted Edgar’s invitation to stop by.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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