mildly successful

USAGE SUMMARY

"mildly successful" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or outcome that had some level of success, but not to its fullest potential. For example: "The product launch was only mildly successful, although sales were not as high as expected."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

And though Ms. Ayvazian hasn't had a terribly eventful life, she is mildly successful here.

The New York Times

He was a mildly successful film director.

The New Yorker

Petterson was thirty-seven athehe time, a mildly successful writer who was unknown beyond Scandinavia.

The New Yorker

Will Draybon is a mildly successful advertising account executive, father of three, happily married to Betty.

The New Yorker

Although mildly successful as a hurdler, she shifted her focus to speed skating at age 17.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The Coyotes were mildly successful after arriving in Arizona, making the playoffs in five of their first six seasons.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

15 human-written examples

After a week in which Charlie Sheen went from being a mildly talented and successful sitcom actor to the most unhinged, media-hungry, obsessed-over drug addict on the planet, here is the best of the comedy that emerged.

Huffington Post

I've tried a few different avenues that were mildly to moderately successful, but... didn't really address what I felt were the core of my issues which seemed to be more existential in their nature.

Vice

The last even mildly controversial referendum that was successful in Australia, constitutional referendum, was in 1946.

The Guardian

More honestly, we could skip the miasma altogether and confess to wanting a mildly unjust, economically unequal but often successful society in which we are spared extremes.

The Guardian - Opinion

However, blood glucose levels in this range approximate the mildly hyperglycemic environment of islets in successful human islet transplants [16].

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing achievements, use "mildly successful" if you're referring to early stages of a project or venture, where the success is still evolving.

Common error

Avoid using "mildly successful" when the achievement is clearly significant or groundbreaking. Using it in such contexts can undermine the impact of the accomplishment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mildly successful" functions as a compound adjective modifying a noun. It describes the degree to which something has achieved its intended outcome, indicating a moderate or limited level of success. Ludwig provides examples across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Science

21%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

2%

OtherRelated

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mildly successful" is a useful phrase for expressing a moderate degree of achievement, as confirmed by Ludwig. It is grammatically correct and commonly used across various contexts, especially in news, media, and scientific writing. While alternatives like "somewhat successful" and "moderately successful" exist, the best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey. Remember to avoid overstating success when using this phrase, and consider that it may not be suitable when a significant accomplishment is being discussed. With a source quality score of 85 and an expert rating of 4.5, "mildly successful" stands as a reliable and versatile option for describing outcomes that are neither failures nor resounding triumphs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat successful

Indicates a similar level of moderate success, with a slightly more neutral tone.

moderately successful

Emphasizes a balance between success and failure, suggesting a limited degree of accomplishment.

partially successful

Highlights the incomplete nature of the success, implying that only some goals were achieved.

reasonably successful

Suggests success within acceptable limits or expectations.

slightly successful

Focuses on the small margin by which success was achieved.

passably successful

Emphasizes that the success meets a minimum acceptable standard.

notably successful

Implies that the success is worth paying attention or reporting.

tepidly successful

Suggests a lack of enthusiasm or excitement about the success.

minimally successful

Highlights that the success is achieved on a bare minimum degree or measure.

faintly successful

Indicates a very subtle success, almost imperceptible.

FAQs

How to use "mildly successful" in a sentence?

You can use "mildly successful" to describe something that achieved some level of success, but wasn't a complete triumph. For example, "The marketing campaign was "mildly successful", increasing sales by 5%".

What can I say instead of "mildly successful"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat successful", "moderately successful", or "partially successful" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "mildly successful" or "slightly successful"?

Both "mildly successful" and "slightly successful" are correct, but "mildly successful" might imply a slightly greater degree of success than "slightly successful". The choice depends on the nuance you want to convey.

What's the difference between "mildly successful" and "minimally successful"?

"Mildly successful" suggests a moderate degree of success, while "minimally successful" implies the lowest possible level of success. "Minimally successful" suggests just barely achieving the desired outcome, while "mildly successful" indicates something went reasonably well.