mild

 
Pronunciation: /mʌɪld/

adjective

  • 1not severe, serious, or harsh: mild criticism mild flu-like symptoms
  • (of weather) moderately warm, especially less cold than expected: mild winters
  • (of a feeling) not intense or extreme: she looked at him in mild surprise
  • (of a medicine or cosmetic) acting gently: a mild sedative
  • (of food, drink, or tobacco) not sharp, hot, or strong in flavour: a mild Italian cheese
  • 2gentle and not easily provoked: she was implacable, despite her mild exterior

noun

[mass noun] British
  • a kind of dark beer not strongly flavoured with hops.

Derivatives

mildish

adjective

Origin:

Old English milde (originally in the sense 'gracious, not severe in command'), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German mild, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin mollis and Greek malthakos 'soft'