adj

gentle

JEHNTL

adj

Kind, mild, and careful, especially in dealing with others.

"She spoke in a gentle voice to calm the frightened dog."

"Be gentle with the puppy, it's still very young."

Not harsh, forceful, or severe; mild.

"A gentle breeze drifted through the open window."

Rising or falling gradually rather than steeply.

"The trail follows a gentle slope up the hill."

verb

To calm, soothe, or tame.

"The trainer worked to gentle the nervous horse."

How to Use Gentle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSoft, mild, and careful rather than rough or forceful.

Easily confused with

genteel → gentile →

Common pairings

gentle reminder gentle breeze gentle slope go gentle

Word Forms

gentler comparative, more gentle comparative, gentled past tense, gentles plural, Gentles plural, gentles singular, gentlest superlative, most gentle superlative

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She spoke in a _____ voice to calm the frightened dog.

Etymology

From Old French gentil ("noble, high-born"), from Latin gentilis — the meaning shifted from "of good birth" to "kind and mild-mannered", the trait nobility was supposed to show.

Synonyms

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friendly kind polite respectful

Antonyms

rude

Related Words

crude kind Christian sharp class friendly nice rude

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