# mild

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈmaɪld/ · frequency rank #5,982

## Definitions
1. Gentle and not easily angered.
2. Of only moderate severity; not strict.
3. Not overly felt or seriously intended.
4. Not serious or dangerous.
5. Moderately warm, especially less cold than expected.
6. Acting gently and without causing harm.
7. Not sharp or bitter; not strong in flavor.

## Etymology
From Middle English milde, from Old English milde (“mild”), from Proto-Germanic *mildijaz (“mild”), from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to beat, pound, grind”).
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, Swedish and Norwegian Bokmål mild (“mild”), Icelandic mildur (“mild”), Latin mollis (“soft, gentle”), Lithuanian malonus (“pleasing, pleasant, kind”), Old Norse mildr.

## Easily confused with
- **ML** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-ml)
- **mix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mix)
- **min** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-min)
- **MUD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mud)
- **mod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mod)
- **MLB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mlb)
- **mit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mit)
- **mir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mir)
- **MLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mla)
- **mol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mol)
- **MLM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mlm)
- **MLK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mlk)
- **miz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-miz)
- **mim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mim)
- **MLG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mlg)
- **mind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mind)
- **miss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-miss)
- **mine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mine)
- **milk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-milk)
- **mile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mild-vs-mile)

## Common misspellings (6)
`imld`, `midl`, `mildd`, `milld`, `mlid`, `mmild`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mild