Nearby Words
adjective
1.
kindly; amiable: a gentle manner.
2.
not severe, rough, or violent; mild: a gentle wind; a gentle tap on the shoulder.
3.
moderate: gentle heat.
4.
gradual: a gentle slope.
5.
EXPANDof good birth or family; wellborn.
6.
characteristic of good birth; honorable; respectable: a gentle upbringing.
7.
easily handled or managed; tractable: a gentle animal.
8.
soft or low: a gentle sound.
9.
polite; refined: Consider, gentle reader, my terrible predicament at this juncture.
10.
entitled to a coat of arms; armigerous.
11.
COLLAPSEArchaic. noble; chivalrous: a gentle knight.
verb (used with object)
12.
to tame; render tractable.
13.
to mollify; calm; pacify.
14.
to make gentle.
15.
to stroke; soothe by petting.
16.
to ennoble; dignify.
:10
:09
:08
:07
:06
:05
:04
:03
:02
:01
Gentling
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Origin:
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
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 forms
gen·tle·ness, noun
gen·tly, adverb
o·ver·gen·tle, adjective
o·ver·gen·tly, adverb
un·gen·tle, adjective
EXPANDSynonyms
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.
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
1. harsh, cruel. 2. violent, sudden. 7. wild, unruly.
1. harsh, cruel. 2. violent, sudden. 7. wild, unruly.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To gentling
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
gentle
early 13c., from O.Fr. gentil "high-born, noble," from L. gentilis "of the same family or clan," from gens (gen. gentis) "race, clan," from root of gignere "beget" (see kin), from PIE base *gen- "produce." Sense of "gracious, kind" (now obsolete) first recorded late 13c.; that
EXPANDof "mild, tender" is 1550s. Older sense remains in gentleman "well-born man" (late 13c.). Gentleman's agreement is first attested 1929.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.