MILD

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mild mean? 

• MILD (adjective)
  The adjective MILD has 3 senses:

1. moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme

2. humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness

3. mild and pleasant

  Familiarity information: MILD used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MILD (adjective)

Comparative: milder   
Superlative: mildest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme

Context example:

mild criticism

Similar:

gentle; soft (soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe)

mild-mannered (behaving in or having a mild or gentle manner)

moderate; temperate (not extreme)

Also:

moderate (being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme)

temperate (not extreme in behavior)

Attribute:

degree; grade; level (a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality)

Antonym:

intense (possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree)

Derivation:

mildness (acting in a manner that is gentle and mild and even-tempered)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness

Synonyms:

meek; mild; modest

Context example:

meek and self-effacing

Similar:

humble (marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Mild and pleasant

Synonyms:

balmy; mild; soft

Context example:

a soft breeze

Similar:

clement ((of weather or climate) physically mild)

Derivation:

mildness (good weather with comfortable temperatures)

 Context examples 

At first, this causes mild muscle problems.

(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Adverse events do not have to be caused by the drug or therapy, and they may be mild, moderate, or severe.

(Adverse event, NCI Dictionary)

Mild electrical stimulation of acupuncture points to control symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

(Acustimulation, NCI Dictionary)

At first, you may have no symptoms or mild symptoms.

(Acoustic Neuroma, NIH: National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders)

Antidepressants may cause mild side effects that usually do not last long.

(Antidepressants, NIH: National Institute of Mental Health)

The weakened strains are used as vaccines because they stimulate a protective immune response while causing no disease or only mild disease in the person receiving the vaccine.

(Attenuated, NCI Dictionary)

It is characterized by the presence of mild atypia.

(Bile Duct Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm with Low Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

For other conditions, a process that is mild in nature and not dangerous to health.

(Benign, NCI Thesaurus)

Asperger syndrome is a milder version of the disorder.

(Autism, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Nor does mild pain mean a problem is not serious.

(Abdominal Pain, NIH)