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
  • But the clean provenance and their New York highlife has never appeased Pooh partisans who think Fifth Avenue is much too far from the Hundred Acre Wood.
    — STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of appeased
Verb
  • Breasts are caressed and thighs crisscross; kisses are planted, and occasionally there’s a glimpse of something more graphic.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Kikuko cried out as her father’s hand slowly caressed her chest.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of caressed
Verb
  • There’s little indication that Miller has softened on immigration whatsoever.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • But, despite preferring to load the dishwasher rather than attend the ceremony, his attitude appears to have slightly softened after the band's eventual induction this year.
    — Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of softened
Adjective
  • In the new study, published on November 2 in Current Biology, Markenscoff-Papadimitriou and her team found that the tame foxes had notably fewer of the estrogen receptor alpha neurons than the aggressive or conventional foxes.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 2026
  • As for City Council members, their criticisms have been fairly tame compared with last year’s fireworks over pro-development Adams-administration measures that were seen as an existential threat to the council’s power.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of tame
Verb
  • After police cordoned off an area in the city center, the situation calmed down by early Sunday morning.
    — Angela Charlton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Longhorns calmed the waters in Austin with their win over Mississippi and won’t slip up against a spiraling Bulldogs team that lost QB Kamario Taylor for the season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of calmed
Verb
  • And, like with Quincosa, a Customs agent patted Castillo down and found multiple plastic tubes covered in tape concealed under his pants.
    — David Goodhue October 7, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Trump repeatedly patted Xi on the back, a gesture considered highly inappropriate in Chinese political culture.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of patted
Adjective
  • And if anyone was expecting a subdued acceptance speech, Waddingham had another thing in mind.
    — Paul Chi, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The phenomenon is just the latest turn in gorpcore’s continued reign in footwear, offering durability and grip for inclement city weather and often with more subdued aesthetics.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of subdued

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gentle
gentled
gentlefolk
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Cite this Entry

“Gentled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentled. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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