gentled 1 of 2

adjective

as in tamed

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gentled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of gentle
1
as in appeased
to lessen the anger or agitation of employees soon learned that their hot-tempered boss needed to be gentled several times a day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in caressed
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner soothingly gentled his cat's head as she was being treated by the vet

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3
as in softened
to lessen the shock of adding a bit of sugar to the salsa will gentle the hot spiciness of the chili peppers

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gentled
Verb
Lisiecki gentled his way through a Brahms waltz for an encore. — Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentled
  1. domesticated
  2. appeased
  3. caressed
  4. softened
  5. tame
  6. calmed
  7. patted
  8. subdued
Adjective
  • These inventions transformed honey bees from a largely feral species into semi-domesticated livestock that could be managed year-round, expanded, and reproduced.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
Definition of domesticated
Verb
  • In a 3-0 battering of Scotland, manager Carlo Ancelotti appeased the people of Miami with a Neymar cameo.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 25 June 2026
  • Both agencies appeased a murderer.
    — Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of appeased
Verb
  • Electric Bleu is French food caressed with California seasonality and the occasional pop of Aussie nostalgia.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
  • In a video shared by the Broncos from the unveiling, Smith is seen carefully caressed the statue of her son's face just after the curtain drops.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of caressed
Verb
  • Both gauges benefited from slumping oil prices, though costs in several other key categories, most notably housing, also softened.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • The bread had enough structure to hold the cheese, but softened under the heat of the camembert.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of softened
Adjective
  • Other food categories showed tame changes in costs over the 12 months that ended in June.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • Like Messi against Egypt, Mbappe passed up the opportunity for a more routine addition to his tally with a tame penalty effort in the first half.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of tame
Verb
  • Neil lifted his eyes and peered out at the sea, the sky now calmed, the air flinty and strange.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 July 2026
  • As the situation in the south has calmed under a tentative truce, Hamza is waiting for the animals’ owners to return and reclaim them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of calmed
Verb
  • That fluffy powder is gently patted into cups and flavored with various syrups, such as lime or strawberry.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
  • One of his lawyers, Benjamin Zeman, patted the director's back.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 June 2026
Definition of patted
Adjective
  • The mash-fest seems to fit the streamer’s sweet spot of entertainment-heavy sporting events, though if anything, its presentation of the derby felt surprisingly subdued in comparison to past spectacles.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
  • Taking the stage before the subdued audience, Mexico’s Alonso Ruizpalacios acknowledged the collective disappointment by turning to Elizabeth Butcher’s poem One Art.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 8 July 2026
Definition of subdued

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Cite this Entry

“Gentled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentled. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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