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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While Hornets fans were not as gruff as New York Knicks or Boston Celtics supporters, Charlotte pro basketball fans were among the leaders who posted a specific swear word.—
Kendrick Marshall,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
-
Paul is lovable but gruff, while Jimmy is lost and a bit broken after having lost his wife in a drunk driving accident.—
Hedy Phillips,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
It’s submerged 11 to 15 feet deep, with its stern facing the shore.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 June 2025
-
Tonight: Explore! TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ★★★ Avoid arguments with others today, which might arise with Mercury in your House of Communications at odds with stern Saturn.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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The two men shook hands, and Mamdani slipped away looking grim.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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Previous reporting about the district’s measles protection drew from the Illinois Department of Public Health’s measles outbreak simulator dashboard, which had painted a potentially grim picture for the district.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Sanders’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), is a fierce Trump critic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
-
Meta’s big bet on Wang fits into CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to bolster his company’s AI efforts amid fierce competition from OpenAI and Google-parent Alphabet.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The unexpected combination of rugged Western elements with sleek swimwear created a striking contrast that resonated with the fashion-forward crowd.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Nigel Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4 RM collaborations were some of the most coveted sneakers of 2024 and after a reported Air Jordan 7 RM instead turned out to be a new model known as the Jordan 92 MVP, another Air Jordan shoe is now rumored to receive the rugged restomod remaster.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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Hristo Stoichkov played with an intimidating edge that could both win games and cross an unforgivable line.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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Judith Collins, the committee chair, said the lawmakers’ behavior was egregious, disruptive, and potentially intimidating.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Christian Science Monitor,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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The crowd was right on top of you there, the students rimmed the court, the very definition of a hostile environment.—
Jim Calhoun with Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2025
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That’s coupled with a more hostile political environment for diversity-forward businesses.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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After years of severe drought, California saw one of its wettest winters on record.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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How pellagra ravaged northern Italy Pellagra is a severe systemic disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin B3, or niacin.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungentle. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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