Mild

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmaɪld/
• Rhymes: -aɪld

Origin

From Middle English milde, from Old English milde ("mild"), from Proto-Germanic *mildijaz ("mild"), from Proto-Indo-European *meldÊ°- ("to beat, pound, grind"), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- ("soft, weak, tender"). Cognate with Scots mild, myld ("mild"), Saterland Frisian milde ("mild"), West Frisian myld ("mild"), Dutch mild ("mild"), Low German milde ("mild"), German mild ("mild"), Danish mild ("mild"), Swedish mild ("mild"), Icelandic mildur ("mild"), Latin mollis ("soft, gentle"), Lithuanian malonus ("pleasing, pleasant, kind").

Full definition of mild

Adjective

1. Gentle and not easily provoked.
2. (of a rule or punishment) Of only moderate severity.
   He received a mild sentence.
3. Not keenly felt or seriously intended.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 8, I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed. And thus we came by a circuitous route to Mohair, the judge occupied by his own guilty thoughts, and I by others not less disturbing.
4. (of an illness or pain) Not serious or dangerous.
• 2002, Rachel Simon, Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey, I learn that mental retardation is classified in four levels: mild, moderate, severe, and profound.
• 2003, Janice A. Gault, Ophthalmology Pearls, NPDR can be further classified as mild, moderate, severe, or very severe, which can help predict how quickly the patient may progress to proliferative (neovascular) diabetic retinopathy (PDR).
5. (of weather) Moderately warm, especially less cold than expected.
6. (of a medicine or cosmetic) Acting gently and without causing harm.
7. (of food, drink, or tobacco) Not sharp, or strong in flavor.

Synonyms

• soft, gentle, bland, calm, tranquil, soothing, pleasant, placid, meek, kind, tender, indulgent, clement, mollifying, lenitive, assuasive

Antonyms

• strong
• harsh, severe, irritating, violent, disagreeable

Noun

1. (British) A relatively low-gravity beer, often with a dark colour; mild ale
• 1998, Robert Rankin, The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag (page 112)'Let me get this for the lady,' I said to Fange, who was pulling her a pint of mild.
• 2011, Pete Brown, Three Sheets to the WindBut Stella shouldn't really be drunk in pints the same way our dads used to drink bitter or mild that was effectively half as strong.

Derived terms

• mild and bitter