Mild
/maɪld/noun
Gentle, soft, or not severe in effect.
Did you know?Mild comes from an old Germanic root meaning “gentle” or “soft,” and in Old English it could describe not just weather or taste, but a person’s temper and mercy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“To be soft, gentle, or tender.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mildijaz
“Gentle, mild, kind.”
Old English
English
milde
“Mild, gentle, gracious, merciful.”
Middle English
English
mild
“Gentle; not harsh; moderate in degree.”
Modern English
English
mild
“Gentle, soft, or not severe in effect.”