gen·tle
Audio Help [jen-tl] Pronunciation Key adjective, -tler, -tlest, verb, -tled, -tling.
—Related forms
Audio Help [jen-tl] Pronunciation Key adjective, -tler, -tlest, verb, -tled, -tling. –adjective
–verb (used with object)
| 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. | of 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. | Archaic. noble; chivalrous: a gentle knight. |
| 12. | to tame; render tractable. |
| 13. | to mollify; calm; pacify. |
| 14. | to make gentle. |
| 15. | to stroke; soothe by petting. |
| 16. | to ennoble; dignify. |
[Origin: 1175–1225; ME gentle, gentil(e) < OF gentil highborn, noble < L gentīlis belonging to the same family, equiv. to gent- (s. of géns) gens + -īlis -le
]
] —Related forms
gen·tle·ness, noun
gently, adverb
—Synonyms 1. clement, peaceful, pacific, soothing; tender, humane, lenient, merciful. Gentle, meek, mild refer to an absence of bad temper or belligerence. Gentle has reference esp. 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.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
gently
To learn more about gently visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| gen·tle
Audio Help (jěn'tl) Pronunciation Key
adj. gen·tler, gen·tlest
n. Archaic One of good birth or relatively high station. tr.v. gen·tled, gen·tling, gen·tles
[Middle English gentil, courteous, noble, from Old French, from Latin gentīlis, of the same clan, from gēns, gent-, clan; see genə- in Indo-European roots.] gen'tle·ness n., gen'tly adv. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| gently | |
adverb | |
| 1. | in a gradual manner; "a gently sloping terrain" |
| 2. | in a gentle manner; "he talked gently to the injured animal" |
| 3. | with little weight or force; "she kissed him lightly on the forehead" [syn: lightly] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
Gently
Gen"tly\, adv. In a gentle manner. My mistress gently chides the fault I made. --Dryden.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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