gentle

adjective gen·tle \ ˈjen-tᵊl \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 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

May's Brexit plan is significantly more gentle than what backers of a hard Brexit — Raab among them — want.

— amanda erickson, Washington Post, "Meet Britain’s new ‘Brexit secretary,’ a man Theresa May once accused of fueling ‘gender warfare’," 10 July 2018
CancerFree KIDS has been granting seed funding for promising research to cure or provide gentler treatment for children with cancer for almost 15 years.

— chuck gibson, Cincinnati.com, "$800,000 in research grants awarded by CancerFree KIDS," 10 July 2018
The celebration used to be gentler, said church deacon Herman Purutyan.

— cristela guerra, BostonGlobe.com, "Ancient Armenian water celebration comes to Watertown," 9 July 2018
But Carter's upbringing on the streets of Indianapolis' hard-scrabble Haughville neighborhood was nothing like gentle Mayberry.

— will higgins, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis inmate plays role in film but misses premiere. He's still in prison.," 9 July 2018
Since her skin tends to be dry, Loren likes to use products that are gentle and won't strip her natural oils.

— harper's bazaar staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "Lela Loren Walks Us Through Her Nighttime Skin Routine," 3 July 2018
Dobi will be best in a home with older children who can be gentle and respectful when handling him.

— peggy calhoun, idahostatesman, "Ada County Pet of the Week: Dobi," 2 July 2018
Remember, Libra, eclipses aren’t gentle: This cosmic motion opens new doors by slamming others shut.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What July's Libra Horoscope Means for You," 29 June 2018
The chair and the dress have enough of an antique quality to them that you may be prompted to think about people who are no longer here, but such thoughts have the gentle tone of acceptance.

— mike giuliano, Howard County Times, "From the studio to the gallery," 8 June 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