GENTLE
Dictionary entry overview: What does gentle mean?
• GENTLE (adjective)
The adjective GENTLE has 7 senses:
1. soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
2. having or showing a kindly or tender nature
3. quiet and soothing
4. belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy
5. easily handled or managed
6. having little impact
7. marked by moderate steepness
Familiarity information: GENTLE used as an adjective is common.
• GENTLE (verb)
The verb GENTLE has 3 senses:
1. cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
2. give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility
3. stroke soothingly
Familiarity information: GENTLE used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• GENTLE (adjective)
Meaning:
Soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
Synonyms:
gentle; soft
Context examples:
a gentle reprimand / a vein of gentle irony / poked gentle fun at him
Similar:
mild (moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme)
Meaning:
Having or showing a kindly or tender nature
Context examples:
the gentle touch of her hand / her gentle manner was comforting / a gentle sensitive nature / gentle blue eyes
Similar:
kind (having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior)
Meaning:
Quiet and soothing
Context examples:
a gentle voice / a gentle nocturne
Similar:
soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)
Meaning:
Belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy
Synonyms:
blue-blooded; aristocratical; aristocratic; patrician; gentle; blue
Context examples:
an aristocratic family / aristocratic Bostonians / aristocratic government / a blue family / blue blood / the blue-blooded aristocracy / of gentle blood / patrician landholders of the American South / aristocratic bearing / aristocratic features / patrician tastes
Similar:
noble (of or belonging to or constituting the hereditary aristocracy especially as derived from feudal times)
Meaning:
Easily handled or managed
Synonyms:
docile; gentle
Context example:
a gentle old horse, docile and obedient
Similar:
tame; tamed (brought from wildness into a domesticated state)
Meaning:
Having little impact
Synonyms:
easy; gentle; soft
Context examples:
an easy pat on the shoulder / gentle rain / a gentle breeze / a soft (or light) tapping at the window
Similar:
light (of little intensity or power or force)
Meaning:
Marked by moderate steepness
Synonyms:
gentle; easy
Context examples:
an easy climb / a gentle slope
Similar:
gradual ((of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt)
• GENTLE (verb)
Meaning:
Cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
placate; pacify; mollify; lenify; gruntle; gentle; conciliate; assuage; appease
Context example:
She managed to mollify the angry customer
Hypernyms (to "gentle" is one way to...):
calm; calm down; lull; quiet; quieten; still; tranquilize; tranquillise; tranquillize (make calm or still)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Meaning:
Give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
ennoble; gentle; entitle
Hypernyms (to "gentle" is one way to...):
advance; elevate; kick upstairs; promote; raise; upgrade (give a promotion to or assign to a higher position)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gentle"):
baronetise; baronetize (confer baronetcy upon)
lord (make a lord of someone)
dub; knight (raise (someone) to knighthood)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
Meaning:
Stroke soothingly
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "gentle" is one way to...):
pet (stroke or caress gently)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
