gentler
ˈjent-lər 
-tᵊl-ər
; gentlest
ˈjent-ləst
-tᵊl-əst
1
3
: moderate
His doctor recommended gentle exercise.
4
a
: belonging to a family of high social station
b
: honorable, distinguished
specifically
: of or relating to a gentleman
d
: suited to a person of high social station
the gentle art of sophisticated conversation
e
archaic
: chivalrous
: a person of gentle (see gentle entry 1 sense 4a) birth or status
gentled; gentling
ˈjent-liŋ
ˈjen-tᵊl-iŋ
1
2
: to raise from the commonalty : ennoble
: to become gentle
the wind gentled
Synonyms
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
Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
It’s also prompted discourse about how the dreamy, gentle Ben, a 6’1″ political magazine editor with a Tweety bird tattoo and a penchant for Rilke, is basically the ideal man.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Von Kampen, 29, crafts gentle, introspective songs that showcase her dulcet voice.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
There’s a gentle curve to the bridge at the front of the frames and what almost looks like horseshoes on the hinges that connect the temples to the lenses.
—Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
The gentle sound of this wind chime comes from the glass colliding whenever there is a strong breeze.
—Nor'adila Hepburn, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2024
Their texture changes based on water temperature, staying firm in cold water for deep scrubbing and becoming soft in warm water for gentle wiping.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 17 Apr. 2024
With gentle pressure, the oscillation did cover my teeth well from top to bottom.
—PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
In addition to finding a shampoo routine that works for you, experts recommend gentle brushing, avoiding heat, and other tips to keep hair healthy.
—Alyssa Hui, Health, 16 Apr. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2024
Glock’s music is historically not a statement of record for the sheepish and the gentle.
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2023
Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce.
—Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017
The dog, described as gassy but gentle, spent much of its time on stage plopped on its side.
—Joy Johnston, ajc, 24 June 2017
Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
He would've been gentled by the Seanchan and killed by Ishamael (Fares Fares).
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Not only can gentle strains of honey bees -- if the bees are properly located and carefully managed -- be maintained within populated areas without causing a nuisance, but a resident having an apiary will not increase the number of bees in a neighboring yard.
—John Benson, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022
While a traditional blow dryer pushes air out and causes frizz, a diffuser will just gentle dry hair without any friction.
—Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 28 July 2022
Rand greets them with trepidation, pulling his sword out for fear Moiraine will gentle his friend.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2021
The color fades to gentle black as night makes its entrance.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
From ethereal blues to gentle yellows to feminine pink hues, the spring/summer 2021 runways are leaning into the power of color theory.
—Sara Holzman, Marie Claire, 13 Apr. 2021
In this six-week program, veterans have the opportunity to gentle wild mustangs.
—Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, 22 Feb. 2018
Adjective
Use a conductive serum first and then begin to glide the tool in gentle motions.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
It’s also prompted discourse about how the dreamy, gentle Ben, a 6’1″ political magazine editor with a Tweety bird tattoo and a penchant for Rilke, is basically the ideal man.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Von Kampen, 29, crafts gentle, introspective songs that showcase her dulcet voice.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
There’s a gentle curve to the bridge at the front of the frames and what almost looks like horseshoes on the hinges that connect the temples to the lenses.
—Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
The gentle sound of this wind chime comes from the glass colliding whenever there is a strong breeze.
—Nor'adila Hepburn, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2024
Their texture changes based on water temperature, staying firm in cold water for deep scrubbing and becoming soft in warm water for gentle wiping.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 17 Apr. 2024
With gentle pressure, the oscillation did cover my teeth well from top to bottom.
—PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
In addition to finding a shampoo routine that works for you, experts recommend gentle brushing, avoiding heat, and other tips to keep hair healthy.
—Alyssa Hui, Health, 16 Apr. 2024
Noun
This gentle for your skin option features collagen, and other ingredients known to help lock in moisture in your skin for reduced risk of eczema breakouts.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2024
Glock’s music is historically not a statement of record for the sheepish and the gentle.
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2023
Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce.
—Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017
The dog, described as gassy but gentle, spent much of its time on stage plopped on its side.
—Joy Johnston, ajc, 24 June 2017
Verb
Lee: Agreed—and there are even more of those contrivances popping up around how the One Power seems to function, especially around stilling and gentling and shielding.
—Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
He would've been gentled by the Seanchan and killed by Ishamael (Fares Fares).
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Not only can gentle strains of honey bees -- if the bees are properly located and carefully managed -- be maintained within populated areas without causing a nuisance, but a resident having an apiary will not increase the number of bees in a neighboring yard.
—John Benson, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022
While a traditional blow dryer pushes air out and causes frizz, a diffuser will just gentle dry hair without any friction.
—Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 28 July 2022
Rand greets them with trepidation, pulling his sword out for fear Moiraine will gentle his friend.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2021
The color fades to gentle black as night makes its entrance.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
From ethereal blues to gentle yellows to feminine pink hues, the spring/summer 2021 runways are leaning into the power of color theory.
—Sara Holzman, Marie Claire, 13 Apr. 2021
In this six-week program, veterans have the opportunity to gentle wild mustangs.
—Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, 22 Feb. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gentle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gentle
Cite this Entry
“Gentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentle. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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