as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
a demanding and ungentle land that was not for the fainthearted
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Recent Examples of ungentle
But going back to trying to be gentle in ungentle times.
—
Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle, 25 Sep. 2020
Notes From an Apocalypse is a gentle argument for coming to terms with the precarity of life, published in a moment where people are facing its fragility in an immediate and ungentle context.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired, 16 Apr. 2020
Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle, 25 Sep. 2020
Notes From an Apocalypse is a gentle argument for coming to terms with the precarity of life, published in a moment where people are facing its fragility in an immediate and ungentle context.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired, 16 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungentle
Adjective
-
Approved by The Boss himself, the live-music and storytelling show finds Azaria slipping into his best Springsteen guise for a night of gruff tales and greatest hits.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
-
The gory skit ends with the gruff older man rushing through the door to announce he’s made amends with his son, only to have his head sliced off by the flying chainsaw.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Several French and Italian citizens were among the dead, and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for stern punishment to be meted out to those responsible for the blaze.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Continue reading … FLIP-FLOP – Reporter claims Harris privately joked about question before stern response.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But the newest numbers were still a grim confirmation that there are few options for dealing with these materials.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
These factors are compounded by the grim shape of downtown’s streets and sidewalks, continuing struggles with homelessness, the fraying DART partnership and an alarming commercial vacancy rate.—
Mark Lamster
Architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Competition remains fierce in the Charlotte region to grab a piece of the lucrative grocery market share.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
-
But long before the fire destroyed a broad section of the San Gabriel Valley community, a small but fierce army of people devoted themselves to others who were without a home.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Orange is a reliable run-stuffer with elite strength, and would be an intimidating presence in the middle of any defense.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
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Lynxes are also opportunistic hunters, which vibed with what the Lynxley family was doing in Zootopia, and their size is not too intimidating.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Cisco positions the same rugged networking technology used in Parkie for other harsh environments, including factories, logistics hubs, and outdoor industrial sites.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The rugged forward stripped Matty Beniers of the puck high in the Seattle zone and then beat Daccord with a backhander.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For example, if one aircraft that looks like a civilian plane launches a missile, the enemy might have a reason to believe other civilian aircraft are potentially hostile.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
During the Cold War, administrations authorized CIA operations against hostile regimes engaged in subversion and criminal conduct.—
Timothy M. Herbst,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Most people who get sick recover within a week, but infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Those who suffer spinal strokes often experience sudden and intense neck or back pain, muscle weakness, and in severe cases, paralysis.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ungentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungentle. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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