3 ADJ Mild weather is pleasant because it is neither extremely hot nor extremely cold. □ The area is famous for its very mild winter climate.
4 ADJ You describe food as mild when it does not taste or smell strong, sharp, or bitter, especially when you like it because of this. □ This cheese has a soft, mild flavour. □ …a mild curry powder.
5 → see also mildly
mil|dew /m I ldjuː, [AM ] -duː/ N‑UNCOUNT Mildew is a soft white fungus that grows in damp places. □ The room smelled of mildew.
mil|dewed /m I ldjuːd, [AM ] -duːd/ ADJ Something that is mildewed has mildew growing on it.
mild|ly /ma I ldli/
1 → see mild
2 PHRASE You use to put it mildly to indicate that you are describing something in language that is much less strong, direct, or critical than what you really think. □ But not all the money, to put it mildly, has been used wisely.
mi ld-ma nnered ADJ If you describe someone as mild-mannered , you approve of them because they are gentle, kind, and polite. [APPROVAL ]
mile ◆◆◇ /ma I l/ (miles )
1 N‑COUNT [num N ] A mile is a unit of distance equal to 1760 yards or approximately 1.6 kilometres. □ They drove 600 miles across the desert. □ The hurricane is moving to the west at about 18 miles per hour. □ She lives just half a mile away. □ …a 50-mile bike ride.
2 N‑PLURAL Miles is used, especially in the expression miles away , to refer to a long distance. □ If you enrol at a gym that's miles away, you won't be visiting it as often as you should. □ I was miles and miles from anywhere.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Miles or a mile is used with the meaning 'very much' in order to emphasize the difference between two things or qualities, or the difference between what you aimed to do and what you actually achieved. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ You're miles better than most of the performers we see nowadays. □ With a Labour candidate in place they won by a mile. □ The rehearsals were miles too slow and no work was getting done.
4 PHRASE If you say that someone is miles away , you mean that they are unaware of what is happening around them because they are thinking about something else. [INFORMAL ] □ What were you thinking about? You were miles away.
5 PHRASE If you say that someone is willing to go the extra mile , you mean that they are willing to make a special effort to do or achieve something. □ The President is determined 'to go the extra mile for peace'.
6 PHRASE If you say that you can see or recognize something a mile off , you are emphasizing that it is very obvious and easy to recognize. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ You can spot undercover cops a mile off.
7 PHRASE If you say that someone would run a mile when faced with a particular situation, you mean that they would be very frightened or unwilling to deal with it. [INFORMAL ] □ If anybody had told me that I was going to have seven children, I would have run a mile.
8 PHRASE If you say that something or someone sticks out a mile or stands out a mile , you are emphasizing that they are very obvious and easy to recognize. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ 'How do you know he's Irish?'—'Sticks out a mile.' WORD HISTORY mile
In Roman times, a mile was equal to a thousand paces. In Latin, 'one thousand paces' is mīlia passuum , from mille , meaning 'a thousand' (the same Latin word as is found in English words such as 'millennium' and 'millimetre').
mile|age /ma I l I dʒ/ (mileages )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Mileage refers to the distance that you have travelled, measured in miles. □ Most of their mileage is in and around town.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The mileage of a vehicle is the number of miles that it can travel using one gallon or litre of fuel. □ They are willing to pay up to $500 more for cars that get better mileage.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The mileage in a particular course of action is its usefulness in getting you what you want. □ [+ out of/in ] It's obviously important to get as much mileage out of the convention as possible.
mile|stone /ma I lstoʊn/ (milestones ) N‑COUNT A milestone is an important event in the history or development of something or someone. □ [+ in ] He said the launch of the party represented a milestone in Zambian history.
mi|lieu /miː ljɜː, [AM ] m I ljuː / (milieux or milieus ) N‑COUNT Your milieu is the group of people or activities that you live among or are familiar with. [FORMAL ] □ They stayed, safe and happy, within their own social milieu.
mili|tant ◆◇◇ /m I l I tənt/ (militants ) ADJ You use militant to describe people who believe in something very strongly and are active in trying to bring about political or social change, often in extreme ways that other people find unacceptable. □ Militant mineworkers in the Ukraine have voted for a one-day stoppage next month. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] Militant is also a noun. □ The militants might still find some new excuse to call a strike. ● mili|tan|cy N‑UNCOUNT □ …the rise of trade union militancy. ● mili|tant|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ Their army is militantly nationalist. SYNONYMS militant ADJ
aggressive: Some children are much more aggressive than others.
belligerent: …the belligerent statements from both sides which have led to fears of war.
warring: The warring factions have not yet turned in all their heavy weapons.
combative: He conducted the meeting in his usual combative style, refusing to admit any mistakes.
mili|ta|rism /m I l I tər I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Militarism is a country's desire to strengthen their armed forces in order to make itself more powerful. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The country slipped into a dangerous mixture of nationalism and militarism.