gentle

[jen-tl]

See more synonyms for gentle on Thesaurus.com

adjective, gen·tler, gen·tlest.

kindly; amiable: a gentle manner.
not severe, rough, or violent; mild: a gentle wind; a gentle tap on the shoulder.
moderate: gentle heat.

gradual: a gentle slope.
of good birth or family; wellborn.
characteristic of good birth; honorable; respectable: a gentle upbringing.
easily handled or managed; tractable: a gentle animal.
soft or low: a gentle sound.
polite; refined: Consider, gentle reader, my terrible predicament at this juncture.
entitled to a coat of arms; armigerous.
Archaic. noble; chivalrous: a gentle knight.

verb (used with object), gen·tled, gen·tling.

to tame; render tractable.
to mollify; calm; pacify.
to make gentle.
to stroke; soothe by petting.
to ennoble; dignify.

Origin of gentle

1175–1225; Middle English gentle, gentil(e) < Old French gentil highborn, noble < Latin gentīlis belonging to the same family, equivalent to gent- (stem of gēns) gens + -īlis -le

Related formsgen·tle·ness, noungen·tly, adverbo·ver·gen·tle, adjectiveo·ver·gen·tly, adverbun·gen·tle, adjectiveun·gen·tle·ness, nounun·gen·t·ly, adverb

Synonyms for gentle

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. clement, peaceful, pacific, soothing; tender, humane, lenient, merciful. Gentle, meek, mild refer to an absence of bad temper or belligerence. Gentle has reference especially to disposition and behavior, and often suggests a deliberate or voluntary kindness or forbearance in dealing with others: a gentle pat; gentle with children. Meek implies a submissive spirit, and may even indicate undue submission in the face of insult or injustice: meek and even servile or weak. Mild suggests absence of harshness or severity, rather because of natural character or temperament than conscious choice: a mild rebuke; a mild manner. 3. temperate. 5. noble. 7. manageable, docile, tame, quiet. 9. courteous; polished.

Antonyms for gentle

1. harsh, cruel. 2. violent, sudden. 7. wild, unruly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gentle

genial, amiable, considerate, mellow, compassionate, quiet, tame, pleasant, benign, placid, tender, affable, moderate, soft, humane, cool, serene, subdued, slight, smooth

Examples from the Web for gentle

Contemporary Examples of gentle

The only justice sought by those folks involved a conviction against Wilson for killing the “gentle giant” teen.
Justice Was Served in Ferguson—This Isn’t Jim Crow America
Ron Christie
November 25, 2014
They act silly, and for a moment we see how gentle and innocent they are.
‘Girlhood’: Coming of Age in France’s Projects
Molly Hannon
November 25, 2014
In all, the comment seemed to be a bit of gentle ribbing with the leader of the free world.
Are Politicians Too Dumb to Understand the Lyrics to ‘Born in the USA’?
Parker Molloy
November 6, 2014
In The Theory of Everything, the “master of the universe” is depicted as a gentle man and loving—albeit conflicted—husband.
The Other Side of Stephen Hawking: Strippers, Aliens, and Disturbing Abuse Claims
Marlow Stern
November 6, 2014
The gentle, erudite soul within a body the public considered an oddity is the contrast at the heart of “The Elephant Man.”
The True Story of ‘The Elephant Man’
Russell Saunders
November 3, 2014

Historical Examples of gentle

A gentle strain of music, scarcely audible, seemed to make reply.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
On a rock, amid the roaring water, Lies Cassiopea's gentle daughter.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
Uncle Jasper, who had a quiet voice and gentle manners, now stood rigid.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
She was like the falling of this starlight, pure, aloof, and strange and gentle.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Attempted fratricide is not a common happening in gentle families.
Viviette
William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for gentle

gentle

adjective

having a mild or kindly nature or character
soft or temperate; mild; moderatea gentle scolding
graduala gentle slope
easily controlled; tamea gentle horse
archaic of good breeding; noblegentle blood
archaic gallant; chivalrous

verb (tr)

to tame or subdue (a horse)
to appease or mollify
obsolete to ennoble or dignify

noun

a maggot, esp when used as bait in fishing
archaic a person who is of good breeding

Derived Formsgently, adverb

Word Origin for gentle

C13: from Old French gentil noble, from Latin gentīlis belonging to the same family; see gens

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gentle

adj.

early 13c., "well-born," from Old French gentil "high-born, noble, of good family" (11c., in Modern French "nice, graceful, pleasing; fine pretty"), from Latin gentilis "of the same family or clan," from gens (genitive gentis) "race, clan," from root of gignere "beget," from PIE root *gen- "produce" (see genus). Sense of "gracious, kind" (now obsolete) first recorded late 13c.; that of "mild, tender" is 1550s. Older sense remains in gentleman.