gentle

1 of 3

adjective

gen·​tle ˈjen-tᵊl How to pronounce gentle (audio)
gentler ˈjent-lər How to pronounce gentle (audio)
-tᵊl-ər
; gentlest ˈjent-ləst How to pronounce gentle (audio)
-tᵊl-əst
1
a
: free from harshness, sternness, or violence
used gentle persuasion
b
: tractable, docile
a gentle horse
2
: soft, delicate
the gentle touch of her hand
3
: moderate
His doctor recommended gentle exercise.
4
a
: belonging to a family of high social station
b
: honorable, distinguished
specifically : of or relating to a gentleman
c
: kind, amiable
used especially in address as a complimentary epithet
gentle reader
d
: suited to a person of high social station
the gentle art of sophisticated conversation
e
archaic : chivalrous
gently adverb

gentle

2 of 3

noun

: a person of gentle (see gentle entry 1 sense 4a) birth or status

gentle

3 of 3

verb

gentled; gentling ˈjent-liŋ How to pronounce gentle (audio)
ˈjen-tᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to make (an animal) tame and docile
b
: to make gentler
c
: mollify, placate
gentled the raging king
d
: to stroke soothingly : pet
2
: to raise from the commonalty : ennoble

intransitive verb

: to become gentle
the wind gentled

Examples of gentle in a Sentence

Adjective a dog that is gentle with children Your mother has a gentle manner. a gentle sense of humor I heard a gentle knock at the door. It's a delicate problem that requires gentle handling. The job requires a gentle touch. The cold snap was a gentle reminder that winter was coming. Noun the archbishop treated both the gentles and the commoners with respect and kindness Verb employees soon learned that their hot-tempered boss needed to be gentled several times a day soothingly gentled his cat's head as she was being treated by the vet
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The gentle outer slopes extend out 140 miles away in different directions. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 For the most part everyone’s singing gentle acoustic covers. Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 The one-mile-long beach is the ultimate beach escape for anyone, offering cliff-jumping, paddleboarding, snorkeling or just frolicking in its gentle waters. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Formulated with a blend of gentle botanical extracts, this foot peel utilizes chemical exfoliants to slough away dead skin cell buildup and reveal softer and smoother soles after application. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 From the film’s savvy use of Miami’s brutalist architecture to Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s tender and lilting electronic score, the gentle incorporation of slightly surreal elements allow the spotlight to stay on Zoya’s ability to reason things out. Stephen Saito, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Benjamin Moore's Shoreline, 1471 Richmond, Virginia, designer Dana Gibson opted for a gentle neutral to allow her bold blue front door to shine. Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2024 Now toner usually refers to liquid formulations geared toward oily skin that's in need of gentle exfoliation and resurfacing. Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024 Incorporating gentle, hydrating products into your hair care routine can also help strengthen your strands and improve texture. Krissy Brady, SELF, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
This gentle for your skin option features collagen, and other ingredients known to help lock in moisture in your skin for reduced risk of eczema breakouts. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2024 Glock’s music is historically not a statement of record for the sheepish and the gentle. Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2023 Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce. Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017 The dog, described as gassy but gentle, spent much of its time on stage plopped on its side. Joy Johnston, ajc, 24 June 2017
Verb
Lee: Agreed—and there are even more of those contrivances popping up around how the One Power seems to function, especially around stilling and gentling and shielding. Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023 He would've been gentled by the Seanchan and killed by Ishamael (Fares Fares). Christian Holub, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023 Not only can gentle strains of honey bees -- if the bees are properly located and carefully managed -- be maintained within populated areas without causing a nuisance, but a resident having an apiary will not increase the number of bees in a neighboring yard. John Benson, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022 While a traditional blow dryer pushes air out and causes frizz, a diffuser will just gentle dry hair without any friction. Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 28 July 2022 Rand greets them with trepidation, pulling his sword out for fear Moiraine will gentle his friend. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2021 The color fades to gentle black as night makes its entrance. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021 From ethereal blues to gentle yellows to feminine pink hues, the spring/summer 2021 runways are leaning into the power of color theory. Sara Holzman, Marie Claire, 13 Apr. 2021 In this six-week program, veterans have the opportunity to gentle wild mustangs. Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, 22 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gentle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English gentyl "of aristocratic birth, exhibiting ideal characteristics of the wellborn, of excellent quality, gracious, courteous, kind," borrowed from Anglo-French gentil, borrowed from Medieval Latin gentīlis "of oneʼs own house, of good family or breeding, native, of a non-Jewish nation or faith, not Christian, pagan," going back to Latin "of a Roman gens, of oneʼs own family or tribe, native," from gent-, gens "race, people, gens" + -īlis, suffix of affiliation

Noun

Middle English gentil (usually plural), borrowed from Anglo-French, derivative of gentil "of aristocratic birth, gentle entry 1"

Verb

Middle English gentylen, derivative of gentyl gentle entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1532, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of gentle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near gentle

Cite this Entry

“Gentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gentle

1 of 2 adjective
gen·​tle
ˈjent-ᵊl
gentler
ˈjent-lər,
-ᵊl-ər
; gentlest
ˈjent-ləst,
-ᵊl-əst
1
: belonging or suitable to a family of high social rank
2
a
: easily handled : docile
a gentle horse
b
: not harsh : mild
gentle soap
c
: not stern or rough
gentle words
3
: soft entry 1 sense 1, soothing
a gentle murmur
4
: moderate entry 1 sense 2a
gentle slopes
gentleness noun
gently
ˈjent-lē
adverb

gentle

2 of 2 verb
gentled; gentling
ˈjent-liŋ,
ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to make gentle or mild
2
: to make calmer : soothe

More from Merriam-Webster on gentle

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