gentle
gentle Lexical Profile
gentle Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having or showing a mild, kind, or tender temperament or character.
"The veterinarian spoke in a gentle voice to keep the frightened puppy calm during the examination."
Moderate in action, effect, or degree; not harsh, severe, or violent.
"A gentle breeze drifted through the open window, bringing the scent of blooming jasmine into the room."
Gradual and not steep or abrupt (used especially of a slope, incline, or curve).
"The hiking trail follows a gentle incline through the meadow before reaching the base of the ridge."
Of noble or honorable birth and respectable social standing (now chiefly historical or literary).
"In the nineteenth-century novel, the protagonist is raised as an orphan before discovering he is of gentle birth."
• verb
To calm, soothe, or break in (especially a domestic animal such as a horse) through patient handling.
"The experienced trainer spent several weeks working to gentle the young colt before introducing a saddle."
• Rhymes for gentle
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 13th century from Old French 'gentil' (meaning 'high-born' or 'noble'), which derives from Latin 'gentilis' ('belonging to the same family or clan'), from 'gens' ('clan' or 'stock'). Over time, the sense shifted from describing aristocratic lineage to denoting the courteous, mild, and compassionate behavior expected of a person of noble character.