gentle

adjective gen·tle \ ˈjen-tᵊl \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: gentle in a Sentence

Definition of gentle

gentler play \ˈjent-lər, -tᵊl-ər\; gentlest play \ˈjent-ləst, -tᵊl-əst\

1 a : belonging to a family of high social station

b archaic : chivalrous

c : honorable, distinguished; specifically : of or relating to a gentleman

d : kind, amiable —used especially in address as a complimentary epithet

gentle reader

e : suited to a person of high social station

the gentle art of sophisticated conversation

2 a : tractable, docile

a gentle horse

b : free from harshness, sternness, or violence

used gentle persuasion

3 : soft, delicate

the gentle touch of her hand

4 : moderate

His doctor recommended gentle exercise.

—

gently

play \ˈjent-lē\ adverb

See gentle defined for English-language learners

See gentle defined for kids

Examples of gentle in a Sentence

a dog that is gentle with children
Your mother has a gentle manner.
a gentle sense of humor
I heard a gentle knock at the door.
It's a delicate problem that requires gentle handling.
The job requires a gentle touch.
The cold snap was a gentle reminder that winter was coming.

Recent Examples of gentle from the Web

The restaurant usually has the faint sound of Hindi music rumbling in the background, high enough to be recognizable but gentle enough not to disturb.

— mayukh sen, Bon Appetit, "The Unshakeable Indian Restaurant I’ll Go Out of My Way to Visit," 6 June 2018
Apply a very simple, very gentle moisturizer underneath (or mix it in) to create a buffer.

— carolyn l. todd, SELF, "11 Things Dermatologists Want You to Know About Sensitive Skin," 16 May 2018
But Water Wheel is an easy hike down sandy paths gentle enough for a child to walk herself.

— azcentral, "Into the water," 15 May 2018
The Late Show emcee was poised, charismatic, and focused on Tuesday—fair, but not too gentle.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Comey on Trump’s Twitter Jabs: “I’m Like the Breakup He Can’t Get Over”," 18 Apr. 2018
David, a burly, 6-foot-1-inch 20-year-old who spent most of his appointments with Aran wearing physical restraints, became gentle enough to hug his sister.

— debra kamin, Newsweek, "Is Marijuana the World’s Most Effective Treatment for Autism?," 15 Feb. 2018
Still, something of their continued appeal lies in that juxtaposition between the soft and the hard, which was sonically mirrored in the contrasts of O’Riordan’s voice, both gentle as cashmere and sharp as a razor.

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "Dolores O’Riordan’s Big, Big Love," 16 Jan. 2018
The slower the cork separates itself from the bottle, the more gentle the hiss that will occur.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "How to Open a Bottle of Champagne the Right Way," 8 Nov. 2017
Yes, Rodgers’s melodies shimmer, and yes, some of Hammerstein’s lyrics glow with a gentle wisdom.

— don aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, "There’s no solving a problem like ‘The Sound of Music’," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gentle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gentle

Middle English gentyl "of aristocratic birth, exhibiting ideal characteristics of the wellborn, of excellent quality, gracious, courteous, kind," borrowed from Anglo-French gentil, borrowed from Medieval Latin gentīlis "of oneʼs own house, of good family or breeding, native, of a non-Jewish nation or faith, not Christian, pagan," going back to Latin "of a Roman gens, of oneʼs own family or tribe, native," from gent-, gens "race, people, gens" + -īlis, suffix of affiliation

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

gentle Synonyms

gentle

noun

Definition of gentle

: a person of gentle (see ¹gentle 1a) birth or status

Examples of gentle in a Sentence

the archbishop treated both the gentles and the commoners with respect and kindness

Recent Examples of gentle from the Web

Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "Spread the word about the great South Indian flavors at Kathakali in Kirkland," 10 Aug. 2017
The dog, described as gassy but gentle, spent much of its time on stage plopped on its side.

— joy johnston, ajc, "Mastiff named Martha crowned world's ugliest dog," 24 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of gentle

Middle English gentil (usually plural), borrowed from Anglo-French, derivative of gentil "of aristocratic birth, ¹gentle"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

gentle Synonyms

Synonyms

aristocrat, blue blood, gentleperson, noble, patrician;

Near Antonyms

commoner, pleb, plebeian, proletarian;

boor, fellah, peasant, peon;

Related Words

socialite, swell;

magnate, magnifico, mogul, nabob;

gentlefolk (also gentlefolks);

gentle

verb

Definition of gentle

gentled; gentling play \ˈjent-liŋ, ˈjen-tᵊl-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to raise from the commonalty : ennoble

2 a : to make gentler

b : to make (an animal) tame and docile

c : mollify, placate

gentled the raging king

d : to stroke soothingly : pet

intransitive verb

: to become gentle

the wind gentled

Examples of gentle in a Sentence

employees soon learned that their hot-tempered boss needed to be gentled several times a day
soothingly gentled his cat's head as she was being treated by the vet