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
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But encounters with the island’s residents, including with his gruff but warm-hearted landlady (played by German screen legend Hanna Schygulla), gradually alter his outlook.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Several Dolphins who have been on the team for more than two years said Wednesday that McDaniel was more stern in meetings this week.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
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The culling of federal agencies has provoked stern warnings from nonprofit groups and other organizations that work to protect public lands and the agencies that manage them.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cunning and a team of 46 other researchers published a grim study in the journal Science on Thursday that assesses the damage caused by a historic 2023 marine heat wave in Florida.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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Directed by Oscar winner Bille August, The Count of Monte Cristo stars Claflin as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The rebound in corporate profitability was largely helped by Beijing’s policies aimed at curtailing fierce price competition across industrial sectors, at a time when deflation in producer prices stretched into its third year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
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The eyewall generally produces the fiercest winds and heaviest rainfall, according to Deanna Hence, a professor of climate, meteorology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.—
NPR,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX Trail Running Shoes While most hiking shoes have a more rugged, utilitarian look, these Hoka hikers lend more towards stylish.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
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Hokkaido is known for its rugged natural beauty, cold winters and thriving agricultural and seafood industries.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Rutgers, meanwhile, has lost three in a row and now faces the unenviable task of attempting to strip down one of the most intimidating offenses in the nation.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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Technology is as straightforward and as non-intimidating as any EV.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The mob of rioters grew more hostile and violent, advancing toward agents and began throwing rocks and other objects at agents, including one that struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Afghan refugees like him await their asylum decisions in an increasingly hostile climate marked by ICE raids and deportations.—
Vidushi Mishti Sharma,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most aneurysms are symptom-free, but sudden severe headaches or vision changes can signal a life-threatening rupture.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Health,
25 Oct. 2025
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Noah was born with fluid in his brain, a condition called hydrocephalus, which caused severe medical complications and ongoing neurological problems.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungentle. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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