gently

adverb

Definition of gentlynext
1
as in weakly

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in tenderly

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Dissimilar Words

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 gently Cook gently for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 Fifty years in the shadows, gently nudging Southland kids into the light. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 In a move months in the making, three male beluga whales from a shuttered marine park in Canada were gently lowered into a pool at SeaWorld San Diego on Saturday, saving the animals from possibly being euthanized. — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Wipe gently, using minimal pressure, to tackle everyday dust and fingerprints. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 22 Aug. 2026 The Society was a sprawling campus on the Adyar River, its peaceful walking paths dotted with old buildings and gently unkempt trees. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Bluefin tuna crudo is gently pounded and spread with a Peruvian-leaning tomato tear, lemon threads and olive oil. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Spoon blueberry pie filling evenly over cream cheese layer, spreading gently to cover. — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2026 For light scratches, use a microfiber cloth and non-abrasive cleaner, always working gently in the direction of the grain. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gently
  1. weakly
  2. tenderly
  3. softly
  4. sweetly
  5. delicately
  6. divinely
  7. feebly
  8. compassionately
Adverb
  • Led by Arne Güllich, researchers analyzed the developmental histories of 35,000 world-class adults, including Nobel laureates and Olympians, finding early excellence is weakly linked to adult achievement.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Native traditions have repeatedly been acknowledged in principle – named, counted, formally recognized – but weakly protected in practice.
    — Kerri J. Malloy, The Conversation, 9 July 2026
Definition of weakly
Adverb
  • Panettiere tenderly conveys the turmoil of being a kid who’s just trying to keep it together in the face of unthinkable circumstances.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Acuña swung and missed and hopped on his left leg before walking tenderly back to the dugout.
    — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of tenderly
Adverb
  • Elordi himself opted to wear Bottega Veneta, sporting a navy, softly pinstriped double-breasted suit with sharp lapels and coordinating tailored pants, a white shirt, and navy skinny tie.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Accurately named, the Red Carpet Skin Luminous Foundation feels like a weightless skin tint but works like foundation to provide medium-to-full coverage with a natural finish that softly blurs.
    — Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of softly
Adverb
  • In a profoundly prolific decade, Texas singer-songwriter Charley Crockett has refined a soulful country purview, crooning sweetly about love and perseverance in misfortune and yielding rave reviews and Grammy nominations.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The onions have been cooked low and oh-so-slow, turning sweetly silky.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sweetly
Adverb
  • As more and more people flock to the parks, overcrowding has begun to cause harm to the land’s natural resources, disrupting the delicately balanced ecosystem that makes the place so special.
    — Meghan Palmer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Accompanied by an ethereal score of classical organ and choral music, Iron Boy is a delicately transporting story of a young boy’s emergence into individuality, and a family film of rare nuance.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of delicately
Adverb
  • Murder might seem like a harsh punishment for being a greedy guest, but in the poem, Zeus and Athena support and divinely assist Odysseus’s plan to massacre Penelope’s arrogant suitors.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
  • In speeches acclaiming our nation and our leader, we will be told that we (some of us, anyway) are divinely chosen.
    — Jim Rasenberger, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
Definition of divinely
Adverb
  • Chief swam feebly across, joined the other two horses on the bank, and stood there shaking.
    — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
  • Judge lined it feebly into the glove of an outfielder.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Definition of feebly
Adverb
  • When delivered compassionately, a no communicates and models a strong sense of judgment as an executive.
    — Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • We are taxed, compassionately pass bills, paid for with Bonds, attend black tie dinners, and hear about 10-year plans after 10-year plans to solve the problem Sacramento is creating.
    — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Definition of compassionately

Browse Nearby Words

gentling
gently
gentries
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Cite this Entry

“Gently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gently. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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