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mild-mannered

mild-mannered

19 3.4
A person who is gentle, calm, and not aggressive
  • adjective
  • /maɪldˈmænərd/
translation icon : apacible
  • To best be in a position to use his amazing powers in a never-ending battle for true justice, Superman has assumed disguise of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.

Some of the the baddest men in the world are the most mild mannered, the most humble.

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Examples

  • His boss, Greg, a mild-mannered hippie electrician, works above him on the ladder.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • I was surprised to find that Farrell was a softly spoken, mild-mannered gentleman.

    Blog text (3)
  • A jury sees a beautiful young woman married to a mild-mannered teacher.

  • His round glasses gave him the air of a young, mild-mannered professor.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • By day, a mild-mannered librarian.

  • On the surface, I seem mild-mannered and easygoing.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • This is Gene Jensen, our usually mild-mannered church clerk.

  • Both Michel and Sbastien are extremely quiet, mild-mannered men, the polar opposite of the fiery French chef stereotype.

    Blog text (13)
  • Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a mild-mannered Boston banker charged with the double murder of his unfaithful wife and her paramour.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The mild-mannered gentleman always greeted his neighbors with a warm smile.

Synonyms

gentle
vsmild-mannered
235 1.0

Kind and not strong in action, sound, or touch

is calm and unassertive but focuses on manner rather than strength
mild
vsmild-mannered
72 3.3

A person who is gentle and not forceful

is calm and unassertive but not necessarily submissive or easily imposed upon
easygoing
vsmild-mannered
22 2.6

Being calm and relaxed and not easily upset

is calm but specifically shows low assertiveness rather than casual relaxation
demure
vsmild-mannered
14 7.4

Being quiet, modest, and often shy

is calm and unassertive but not primarily about modesty or shyness
meek
vsmild-mannered
12 4.4

Quiet and gentle and not likely to speak up

is calm and unassertive but without implying being easily controlled or submissive
even-tempered
vsmild-mannered
3 3.7

Calm and not easily annoyed or angry

is calm in manner but also tends to be unassertive in social situations
sweet-natured
vsmild-mannered
2 3.2

Kind and gentle toward others

is calmer and less about friendliness, focusing on quiet, unassertive manner
gentle as a lamb
vsmild-mannered
  • Informal
1 3.9

A person or animal who is very kind and not likely to hurt others

is calm and unassertive but shows less extreme softness in manner
equable
vsmild-mannered
1 7.3

A calm person who does not get angry or upset easily

is calm but more about quiet, unassertive behavior than internal balance
nonabrasive
vsmild-mannered
3.9

Gentle in manner and tone, not likely to offend

is about calm, unassertive behaviour rather than only avoiding offence

Antonyms

311 3.7

Behaving in a hostile way and ready to attack or argue

12 7.4

Trying to control other people and not listening to their ideas

How Gentle

easygoing
22 2.6
gentle
235 1.0
mild-mannered
19 3.4
meek
12 4.4
docile
22 5.5

Surface Forms

mild-mannered positive

Morphology

mild-mannered = mild + mannered (transparent) = mild + manner + ed

The compound 'mild' + 'mannered' straightforwardly describes someone having a mild manner, and 'mannered' is a regular adjective from 'manner' + '-ed'.

Etymology

The word mild-mannered is made of two words: mild, meaning 'not strong' or 'gentle', and mannered, from manner which means 'way of behaving'. So a mild-mannered person has a gentle 'way of behaving', which is why we use it for someone calm and polite.