mild

Formsmilder, mildest

Pluralmilds

1. 1
   adjective

   Of only moderate severity; not strict or harsh.

   The company issued only a mild reprimand for the policy violation.

   Critics called the proposed penalties mild compared with those in neighboring states.

   Similarlenient, light, soft, moderate, gentle

   Oppositeharsh, severe, strict, stiff

2. 2
   adjective

   Gentle and not overpowering in taste, without sharpness or bitterness.

   The chef recommended a mild curry for diners new to Indian food.

   A milder roast brings out the bean's natural sweetness.

   Similarmellow, delicate, subtle, light, bland

   Oppositehot, spicy, strong, sharp

3. 3
   adjective

   Moderately warm in temperature, especially less cold than is usual or expected.

   Forecasters predict a mild weekend after the cold snap.

   The region's mild winters attract retirees from colder states.

   Similarbalmy, temperate, clement, warm, pleasant

   Oppositeharsh, severe, cold, bitter

4. 4
   adjective

   Gentle in temperament and not easily provoked to anger.

   Despite the constant criticism, he remained mild and patient with his staff.

   Her mild disposition made her a natural mediator in family disputes.

   Similargentle, placid, meek, calm, easygoing

   Oppositefierce, aggressive, fiery, hot-tempered

   Note

   With people, the word describes a settled temperament: a mild man is gentle by nature, not merely calm for the moment. Behind it lies a surprising pedigree. Old English milde goes back through Proto-Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to beat, pound, grind." Every other sense of mild, from weather to beer, comes down that same line, and the forms are regular: milder, mildest.

5. 5
   adjective

   Not serious or dangerous; causing little harm or discomfort.

   Most patients reported only mild side effects after the vaccination.

   The tremor was mild and caused no damage to buildings.

   Similarminor, slight, light

   Oppositesevere, serious

   Note

   In medicine, mild names the first rung of a graded scale. Rachel Simon's Riding the Bus with My Sister (2002) sets out four levels: mild, moderate, severe, profound. Janice A. Gault's Ophthalmology Pearls (2003) grades a retinal disease as mild, moderate, severe or very severe. In such writing the word is a category rather than an impression, and it pairs naturally with moderate and severe.

6. 6
   adjective

   Acting gently and without causing harm or irritation.

   Dermatologists recommend a mild cleanser for patients with sensitive skin.

   Switch to a milder detergent if the fabric begins to fade.

   Similargentle, soothing

   Oppositeharsh, strong, abrasive

7. 7
   adjective

   Not strongly felt, or not seriously intended.

   His mild curiosity about the project never turned into real commitment.

   She offered a mild objection, more for form than from conviction.

   Similarslight, faint, passing, token

   Oppositestrong, intense, keen

   Note

   Here mild measures how strongly something is felt, and it is at home in understatement. The American novelist Winston Churchill's The Celebrity (1897) has its narrator setting off across the fields "in no very mild state of fear" of a vigilant wife. That double negative means the fear was considerable. Put no or not in front of mild, and the phrase points the other way, toward something keenly felt.

8. 8
   nounBritishcountable or uncountable

   An ale brewed to a fairly low gravity, making it relatively light in alcohol, and often dark in color.

   The brewery still produces a traditional dark mild alongside its bitters.

   He nursed a half of mild while watching the darts.

   Note

   The noun is what you order at a British bar, short for mild ale: a pint of mild, a half of mild. It is regularly named beside bitter, and its low gravity is the point. In Three Sheets to the Wind (2011), Pete Brown recalls "our dads" drinking bitter or mild at half the strength of today's pints. That memory gives the word an everyday, faintly old-fashioned feel. The plural is milds.

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