as in kindness
the quality of having a generally kind and agreeable manner
The students quickly learned that despite their new teacher's gentleness, good grades had to be earned through hard work.
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Recent Examples of gentleness
Without a personal template for gentleness, creating new patterns can feel like swimming against the tide.
—
Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 2 Dec. 2024
For a group of young men with a lethal stage presence, their private personas are marked by gentleness, always leading with manners, and respect.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024
Sherald gives us Black life with gentleness and dignity—but the institutional context within which her work is shown matters.
—Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
This doctrine is embedded in the Catholic Mass, where the Lamb of God represents not gentleness but a creature slaughtered for the good of the world.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentleness
Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 2 Dec. 2024
For a group of young men with a lethal stage presence, their private personas are marked by gentleness, always leading with manners, and respect.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024
Sherald gives us Black life with gentleness and dignity—but the institutional context within which her work is shown matters.
—Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
This doctrine is embedded in the Catholic Mass, where the Lamb of God represents not gentleness but a creature slaughtered for the good of the world.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentleness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentleness
Noun
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Indeed, the designer’s intentions are based on high ideals — kindness, tolerance and humility among them — even if his methods can sometime shock.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
-
Her courage, kindness, and determination touched the lives of everyone who knew her.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Despite her patience, civility, and willingness to compromise, she’s left second-guessing herself.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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And yet his patience had already been tested by the sixty-seven-year-old Mark Geragos, defense attorney to the stars, who was serving as an unofficial adviser to Combs’s legal team.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Both stimulate new growth but this is the time for slow growth so plants adapt to drought tolerance. • Use a sharp spray of water to clean plant leaves of dust, dirt, aphids, white flies and spider mites, whose presence is evident by tiny webs on leaves and stems.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
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Stonecrops are known for their heat and drought tolerance.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Unfortunately, a drunken Ben makes a heinous error in judgment that abruptly extinguishes the generosity of their hosts.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
27 June 2025
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Other thinkers have reflected on the generosity of the shrub and its fruit.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Johnson writes with a tenderness towards her subjects, but not without sacrificing a direct, unflinching approach to her insights on class and waste.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
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Del Toro pushes through with bravado but also moments of tenderness. 38.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gentleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentleness. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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