gentle

gen·tle | \ ˈjen-tᵊl

How to pronounce gentle (audio)

\

gentler\ ˈjent-lər

How to pronounce gentler (audio)

, -tᵊl-ər \; gentlest\ ˈjent-ləst

How to pronounce gentlest (audio)

, -tᵊl-əst \

Definition of gentle

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : free from harshness, sternness, or violence used gentle persuasion

b : tractable, docile a gentle horse

2 : soft, delicate the gentle touch of her hand

3 : moderate His doctor recommended gentle exercise.

4a : belonging to a family of high social station

b : honorable, distinguished specifically : of or relating to a gentleman

c : kind, amiable —used especially in address as a complimentary epithetgentle reader

d : suited to a person of high social station the gentle art of sophisticated conversation

e archaic : chivalrous

gentle

Definition of gentle (Entry 2 of 3)

: a person of gentle (see gentle entry 1 sense 4a) birth or status

gentle

gentled; gentling\ ˈjent-liŋ

How to pronounce gentling (audio)

, ˈjen-tᵊl-iŋ \

Definition of gentle (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to make (an animal) tame and docile

b : to make gentler

c : mollify, placate gentled the raging king

d : to stroke soothingly : pet

2 : to raise from the commonalty : ennoble

intransitive verb

: to become gentle the wind gentled

Other Words from gentle Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about gentle

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Examples of gentle in a Sentence

Adjective 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. Noun the archbishop treated both the gentles and the commoners with respect and kindness Verb 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Every door front had a feeling of gentle, purposeful activity. — Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "Confessions of a foodie, locked down in London," 28 June 2020 Lotus is gentle and loving and loves to spend her time lounging around with her people. — The Arizona Republic, "Cherche and more pets up for adoption in Phoenix-area shelters this week," 27 June 2020 The canine menagerie includes her own dog Chula — a huge but gentle Mastiff mix — and her three current foster dogs, Paddy, Amber and Wilson. — Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio ‘foster mom’ helps place dogs in new homes as adoptions have increased during the coronavirus pandemic," 26 June 2020 With more than 7,300 positive reviews and a 4.8-star rating, the soft compression leggings feel like a gentle hug when worn, which sounds quite nice right about now. — Courtney Thompson, CNN Underscored, "The comfiest leggings you can essentially live in," 25 June 2020 Aquaplaning creates a frictionless bearing, which allows anyone to spin the sphere with a relatively gentle push, according to the city’s convention and visitors bureau. — Dallas News, "This 3,000-pound globe is Grapevine’s newest public artwork — and yes, you can spin it," 24 June 2020 Still other trout—often the largest ones—will be tight to the bank in slow-moving currents, rising with gentle dimples that belie their bulk. — John Merwin, Field & Stream, "How to Fish for Trout During the Summer Trico Hatch," 23 June 2020 Those sandwiches, with their rib-sticking meatiness and gentle cartilaginous crunch, fed the Freedom Riders, fed blues musicians, and have been feeding this neighborhood ever since. — Matt Goulding, The Atlantic, "Our Weird Restaurant Future," 19 June 2020 As Frank promised, stalls in the Tucano were gentle and predictable, with none of the unpleasant surprises that some high-performance aircraft like to spring on unwary pilots. — Lee H. Goldberg, Ars Technica, "Living the Top Gun dream, on a budget," 15 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun 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 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In this six-week program, veterans have the opportunity to gentle wild mustangs. — Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "The join up: When veterans and wild horses build trust with each other," 22 Feb. 2018 Fawcett said the mustangs can be gentled into outstanding pleasure riding horses. — Lynne Terry, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Sunday lottery: Pick 4, Lucky Lines numbers drawn," 7 Jan. 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.

History and Etymology for gentle

Adjective

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

Noun

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

Verb

Middle English gentylen, derivative of gentyl gentle entry 1

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Last Updated

1 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Gentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentle. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for gentle

gentle

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of gentle

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

: not hard or forceful

: not strong or harsh in effect or quality

See the full definition for gentle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gentle

gen·tle | \ ˈjen-tᵊl

\

gentler; gentlest

Kids Definition of gentle

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

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