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
-
Eric Bauman, a gruff and tireless political operative who led two of California’s most powerful Democratic organizations before resigning amid misconduct allegations, died Monday.—
Laura J. Nelson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
-
Cross-examination from the defense’s gruff Xavier Donaldson will continue first thing Tuesday when the trial picks up again.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Born in Philadelphia in October 1888, Breen shuttled between jobs in public relations, newspaper journalism, and the U.S. consular service, yet the connecting thread was always his deep, proud, stern Irish Catholicism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
-
However, strikes between the two nations appeared to continue—leading to a stern rebuke from the president on Tuesday morning.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the grim topic, the report offers encouraging news: Steady progress has been made in reducing child labor globally.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
26 June 2025
-
The grim discovery has shaken the Wenatchee community and set off a sweeping manhunt for Decker, who has not been seen since.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Supreme Court cases that set off the fiercest conflicts among the justices aren’t always the hot-button ones.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
25 June 2025
-
Roca—with his pants torn and blood showing through—returns to fight and ultimately brings the bull down with one fierce thrust, leaving the sword in its back.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
A lot of my book is about unlearning the tenets of American work culture, that rugged individualism often translates to just being plain old lonely.—
Maris Kreizman
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
-
Trent Frederic is another player who brings a rugged style to the game and can play all three forward positions.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Unlike other squirrel-proof bird feeders, this one is ideal for small birds and won’t attract bigger, more intimidating birds like ravens, eagles, grackles, or black birds.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
-
Its profoundly intimidating core cast come together as the white-hot heart of an espionage love story.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Syria has turned from a fertile ground to a hostile one for Iran and its assets, after the Assad regime was toppled in December.—
Lina Khatib,
Time,
19 June 2025
-
Republican leaders there have long seen many local school boards as hostile to potential charter school operators, resulting in a steady push to find ways for operators to apply to the state.—
Kate Payne,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two days, more than 120 million people are under the threat for severe storms from the Midwest to the East Coast.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
18 June 2025
-
Officials have told residents in three states to stay indoors this week due to severe air quality alerts and record-breaking heat.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungentle. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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