Definition of gentleness
: the quality or state of being gentle; especially : mildness of manners or disposition
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of gentleness from the Web
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Our doctrine is succor, compassion, love, gentleness.
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Pet theory: This sustained hunger for competition—along with a comparative gentleness on the body—is why so many former jocks favor golf.
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Julianna Setters, her face and apron dusted with flour, patted a disc of dough on Wednesday morning with the gentleness of a mother tending her baby.
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His gentleness and that of his beloved father (who always invited a Skid Row transient to join the family for Christmas dinner) contrast with other male relatives, wounded literally and psychically by the Vietnam War and other hardships.
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Men and women keep driving each other crazy in bed and in the head, but with more mutual sympathy and gentleness.
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Now, Mia is responding to her son’s crisis not with maternal gentleness but with scolding, threats, and a terrible cautionary tale.
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French pianist Lisa de la Salle was casting a spell with a heartbreaking extended solo, evoking something that sounded like a complex combination of gentleness, strength and sadness.
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There’s a gentleness in the demeanor of Pueblo’s executive chef Eduardo Rosales that doesn’t prepare you for the flavor punch to come in his cuisine.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gentleness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of gentleness
14th century
Learn More about gentleness
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Spanish Central: Translation of gentleness Nglish: Translation of gentleness for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gentleness for Arabic speakers
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