gentler
ˈjent-lər 
-tᵊl-ər
; gentlest
ˈjent-ləst
-tᵊl-əst
1
3
: moderate
His doctor recommended gentle exercise.
4
a
: belonging to a family of high social station
b
: honorable, distinguished
specifically
: of or relating to a gentleman
d
: suited to a person of high social station
the gentle art of sophisticated conversation
e
archaic
: chivalrous
: a person of gentle (see gentle entry 1 sense 4a) birth or status
gentled; gentling
ˈjent-liŋ
ˈjen-tᵊl-iŋ
1
2
: to raise from the commonalty : ennoble
: to become gentle
the wind gentled
Synonyms
Examples of gentle in a Sentence
Adjective
a dog that is gentle with children
Your mother has a gentle manner.
a gentle sense of humor
I heard a gentle knock at the door.
It's a delicate problem that requires gentle handling.
The job requires a gentle touch.
The cold snap was a gentle reminder that winter was coming.
Noun
the archbishop treated both the gentles and the commoners with respect and kindness
Verb
employees soon learned that their hot-tempered boss needed to be gentled several times a day
soothingly gentled his cat's head as she was being treated by the vet
Recent Examples on the Web
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The delicate, lace-like pattern adorning the entirety of the sweater adds a touch of femininity to any outfit, while the fuzzy texture will feel gentle against the skin — even after a full day of wearing it.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Hatch’s antioxidant-rich Nipple + Lip Rescue Butter Balm is a multipurpose hydrator that looks chic and subtle enough to whip out during a meeting but is also gentle enough to be used on sensitive nipples.
—Macaela MacKenzie, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
How to prepare for your appointment The best way to gear up for your visit is to come in with a fresh, clean face, according to Dr. Sanghvi: Wash with a gentle cleanser, then leave your skin bare.
—Krissy Brady, SELF, 2 Apr. 2024
This gentle exfoliating cleanser from The Seaweed Co. lifts every layer of product off without roughing up my skin underneath.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
As a result, the garments, which are made in Italy with a high degree of handwork, will be delivered to customers in as little as five weeks with comparatively gentle pricing.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
For care, the brand recommends hand-washing or using a gentle cycle with cold water, then hanging the dress to dry.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Show it some love (and get rid of the mildew lurking under the cap) with a weekly scrub with this bottle brush, which has a combination of gentle and abrasive bristles that’ll target all the nooks and crannies.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 25 Mar. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2024
Glock’s music is historically not a statement of record for the sheepish and the gentle.
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2023
Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce.
—Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017
The dog, described as gassy but gentle, spent much of its time on stage plopped on its side.
—Joy Johnston, ajc, 24 June 2017
Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
He would've been gentled by the Seanchan and killed by Ishamael (Fares Fares).
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Not only can gentle strains of honey bees -- if the bees are properly located and carefully managed -- be maintained within populated areas without causing a nuisance, but a resident having an apiary will not increase the number of bees in a neighboring yard.
—John Benson, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022
While a traditional blow dryer pushes air out and causes frizz, a diffuser will just gentle dry hair without any friction.
—Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 28 July 2022
Rand greets them with trepidation, pulling his sword out for fear Moiraine will gentle his friend.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2021
The color fades to gentle black as night makes its entrance.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
From ethereal blues to gentle yellows to feminine pink hues, the spring/summer 2021 runways are leaning into the power of color theory.
—Sara Holzman, Marie Claire, 13 Apr. 2021
In this six-week program, veterans have the opportunity to gentle wild mustangs.
—Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, 22 Feb. 2018
Adjective
Human beings crash through nature, break it apart and leave it in ruins, just to make supper by 6 p.m.
Your only hope of keeping the agony of this realization at bay is to endeavor to be gentler and better in the tiny scope of things under your control.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The delicate, lace-like pattern adorning the entirety of the sweater adds a touch of femininity to any outfit, while the fuzzy texture will feel gentle against the skin — even after a full day of wearing it.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Hatch’s antioxidant-rich Nipple + Lip Rescue Butter Balm is a multipurpose hydrator that looks chic and subtle enough to whip out during a meeting but is also gentle enough to be used on sensitive nipples.
—Macaela MacKenzie, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
How to prepare for your appointment The best way to gear up for your visit is to come in with a fresh, clean face, according to Dr. Sanghvi: Wash with a gentle cleanser, then leave your skin bare.
—Krissy Brady, SELF, 2 Apr. 2024
This gentle exfoliating cleanser from The Seaweed Co. lifts every layer of product off without roughing up my skin underneath.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
As a result, the garments, which are made in Italy with a high degree of handwork, will be delivered to customers in as little as five weeks with comparatively gentle pricing.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
For care, the brand recommends hand-washing or using a gentle cycle with cold water, then hanging the dress to dry.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Show it some love (and get rid of the mildew lurking under the cap) with a weekly scrub with this bottle brush, which has a combination of gentle and abrasive bristles that’ll target all the nooks and crannies.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
This gentle for your skin option features collagen, and other ingredients known to help lock in moisture in your skin for reduced risk of eczema breakouts.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2024
Glock’s music is historically not a statement of record for the sheepish and the gentle.
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2023
Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce.
—Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017
The dog, described as gassy but gentle, spent much of its time on stage plopped on its side.
—Joy Johnston, ajc, 24 June 2017
Verb
Lee: Agreed—and there are even more of those contrivances popping up around how the One Power seems to function, especially around stilling and gentling and shielding.
—Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
He would've been gentled by the Seanchan and killed by Ishamael (Fares Fares).
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023
Not only can gentle strains of honey bees -- if the bees are properly located and carefully managed -- be maintained within populated areas without causing a nuisance, but a resident having an apiary will not increase the number of bees in a neighboring yard.
—John Benson, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022
While a traditional blow dryer pushes air out and causes frizz, a diffuser will just gentle dry hair without any friction.
—Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 28 July 2022
Rand greets them with trepidation, pulling his sword out for fear Moiraine will gentle his friend.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2021
The color fades to gentle black as night makes its entrance.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
From ethereal blues to gentle yellows to feminine pink hues, the spring/summer 2021 runways are leaning into the power of color theory.
—Sara Holzman, Marie Claire, 13 Apr. 2021
In this six-week program, veterans have the opportunity to gentle wild mustangs.
—Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, 22 Feb. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gentle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gentle
Cite this Entry
“Gentle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentle. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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