gentle

play

adjective gen·tle \ ˈjen-tᵊl \

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

From a panda who quits kindergarten to a brother-sister duo who have different approaches to heading back, these seven books offer gentle, relatable back-to-school tales that are sure to get kids excited for their first day.

— john warner, chicagotribune.com, "5 podcasts every book lover should hear," 30 Aug. 2017
Guitars dive in, at first gentle then knotted; the arrangement grows and heaves, and Rossen sounds agitated.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Grizzly Bear Capture the Beauty of Connection," 20 Aug. 2017
NSF’s gentle hand NSF’s current approach pays great deference to universities.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Despite policy's weaknesses, NSF to reiterate stance on teaching good research habits," 17 Aug. 2017
Sansa’s persistent (and not very gentle) rebuffs all season have done nothing to stop the scheming player from lurking, smirking, and waiting to make his move.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: Littlefinger’s Terrified Reaction to Bran, Explained," 7 Aug. 2017
With a gentle hand, Flourney weaves in scenes of despair, chaos, and survival, while showing a family struggling to, literally, pick up the pieces left in the rubble of a fight Black people have long waged against injustice.

— malaika jabali, Essence.com, "'Detroit:' The Real Story Behind One Of The Most Horrific Police Brutality Events In History," 3 Aug. 2017
Using its unique tool, the trip hazard is cut off and in its stead is a gentle slop that's much safer for pedestrians.

— ted hendricks, The Aegis, "Summer means time to fix trip hazards in Bel Air," 28 July 2017
Her voice would stay gentle and sustained, the opposite of a belter, using grain and melodic leaps rather than lung power for emotional peaks.

— jon pareles, New York Times, "Review: Lana Del Rey Wonders ‘Is It the End of America?’ on Her New Album," 19 July 2017
The machinery is run according to the textile rather than every frock, top, and pair of pants being fed through the same system, which ensures gentle treatment.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

gentle Synonyms

Synonyms

balmy, benign, bland, delicate, light, mellow, mild, nonabrasive, soft, soothing, tender

Antonyms

abrasive, caustic, coarse, hard, harsh, rough, scathing, stern, ungentle

Related Words

calm, pacific, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil; clement, compassionate, easy, lenient, merciful; buffering, cushioning, emollient, softening; sleek, slick, smooth

Near Antonyms

exquisite, fierce, intense, powerful, severe; forceful, forcible, savage, violent; roughened, rugged, strong; abrading, irritating, roughening; grim, gruff, rude, stiff; heavy-handed, oppressive, pitiless, tyrannical (also tyrannic)

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

See Words from the same year

gentle Synonyms

Synonyms

aristocrat, blue blood, gentleperson, noble, patrician

Related Words

socialite, swell; magnate, magnifico, mogul, nabob; gentlefolk (also gentlefolks)

Near Antonyms

canaille, commoner, pleb, plebeian, proletarian, roturier; boor, fellah, peasant, peon

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

Origin and Etymology of gentle

Middle English gentylen, derivative of gentyl ¹gentle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

gentle Synonyms

Synonyms

appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, pacify, mollify, placate, propitiate

Antonyms

anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage

Related Words

calm, comfort, console, content, hush, quiet, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize); endear (to), ingratiate; delight, gladden, gratify, please; adulate, blarney, flatter, overpraise, soft-soap; quench, sate, satiate, satisfy; cater (to), humor, indulge; blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle; baby, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil; dulcify, sweeten

Near Antonyms

aggravate, annoy, antagonize, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, cross, exasperate, gall, get, grate, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pique, put out, rankle, rile, roil, ruffle, vex; provoke, rouse; harass, harry, persecute, pester; agitate, discomfort, distress, disturb, fret, perturb, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry; affront, insult, offend, slight

GENTLE Defined for English Language Learners

gentle

play

adjective

Definition of gentle for English Language Learners

: having or showing a kind and quiet nature : not harsh or violent
: not hard or forceful
: not strong or harsh in effect or quality

GENTLE Defined for Kids

gentle

play

adjective gen·tle \ ˈjen-tᵊl \

Definition of gentle for Students

gentler; gentlest

1 :having or showing a kind and quiet nature :not harsh, stern, or violent

He was a large but gentle man.

2 :not hard or forceful

a gentle wind

3 :not strong or harsh in quality or effect

a gentle soap

4 :not steep or sharp

gentle hills

—

gentleness

\ˈjen-tᵊl-nəs\ noun

—

gently

\ˈjent-lē\ adverb

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gentle

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gently

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