Definitions for gentle
ˈdʒɛn tlgen·tle

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 7 votes)Rate this definition:

1. gentle, softadjective

   soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

   "a gentle reprimand"; "a vein of gentle irony"; "poked gentle fun at him"

2. gentleadjective

   having or showing a kindly or tender nature

   "the gentle touch of her hand"; "her gentle manner was comforting"; "a gentle sensitive nature"; "gentle blue eyes"

3. gentleadjective

   quiet and soothing

   "a gentle voice"; "a gentle nocturne"

4. aristocratic, aristocratical, blue, blue-blooded, gentle, patricianadjective

   belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy

   "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"

5. docile, gentleadjective

   easily handled or managed

   "a gentle old horse, docile and obedient"

6. easy, gentle, softadjective

   having little impact

   "an easy pat on the shoulder"; "gentle rain"; "a gentle breeze"; "a soft (or light) tapping at the window"

7. easy, gentleverb

   marked by moderate steepness

   "an easy climb"; "a gentle slope"

8. pacify, lenify, conciliate, assuage, appease, mollify, placate, gentle, gruntleverb

   cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of

   "She managed to mollify the angry customer"

9. ennoble, gentle, entitleverb

   give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility

10. gentleverb

    stroke soothingly

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. gentlenoun

   A person of high birth.

2. gentlenoun

   A maggot used as bait by anglers

3. gentleverb

   to become gentle

4. gentleverb

   to ennoble

5. gentleverb

   to break; to tame; to domesticate

6. gentleverb

   To soothe; to calm.

7. gentleadjective

   Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition

   Stuart is a gentle man, he would never hurt you.

8. gentleadjective

   Soft and mild rather than hard or severe

   I felt something touch my shoulder, it was gentle and a little slimy.

9. gentleadjective

   Docile and easily managed

   We had a gentle swim in the lake.

10. gentleadjective

    Gradual rather than steep or sudden

    The walks in this area have a gentle incline.

11. gentleadjective

    Polite and respectful rather than rude

    He gave me a gentle reminder that we had to hurry up.

12. Etymology: From gentil, from gentil, from gentilis, from gens

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. GENTLEadjective

   Etymology: gentilis, Latin.

   1. Well born; well descended; ancient, though not noble.

   They entering and killing all of the gentle and rich faction, for honesty sake broke open all prisons. Philip Sidney.

   These are the studies wherein our noble and gentle youth ought to bestow their time. John Milton, on Education.

   Of gentle blood, part shed in honour’s cause,
   Each parent sprung. Alexander Pope.

   2. Soft; bland; mild; tame; meek; peaceable.

   I am one of those gentle ones that will use the devil himself with curtesy. William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night.

   Her voice was ever soft,
   Gentle and low; an excellent thing in woman. William Shakespeare.

   As gentle, and as jocund, as to jest,
   Go I to fight. William Shakespeare, Richard II.

   A virtuous and a good man, reverend in conversation, and gentle in condition. 2 Mac. xv. 12.

   The gentlest heart on earth is prov’d unkind. Edward Fairfax.

   Your change was wise; for, had she been deny’d,
   A swift revenge had follow’d from her pride:
   You from my gentle nature had no fears;
   All my revenge is only in my tears. John Dryden, Ind. Emp.

   He had such a gentle method of reproving their faults, that they were not so much afraid as ashamed to repeat them. Francis Atterbury.

   3. Soothing; pacifick.

   And though this sense first gentle musick found,
   Her proper object is the speech of men. Davies.

2. Gentlenoun

   1. A gentleman; a man of birth. Now out of use.

   Gentles, do not reprehend;
   If you pardon, we will mend. William Shakespeare.

   Where is my lovely bride?
   How does my father? Gentles, methinks you frown. William Shakespeare.

   2. A particular kind of worm.

   He will in the three hot months bite at a flagworm, or at a green gentle. Izaak Walton, Angler.

3. To Gentleverb

   To make gentle; to raise from the vulgar. Obsolete.

   He to-day that sheds his blood with me,
   Shall be my brother; be he never so vile,
   This day shall gentle his condition. William Shakespeare, Henry V.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Gentle

   well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble

2. Gentle

   quiet and refined in manners; not rough, harsh, or stern; mild; meek; bland; amiable; tender; as, a gentle nature, temper, or disposition; a gentle manner; a gentle address; a gentle voice

3. Gentle

   a compellative of respect, consideration, or conciliation; as, gentle reader

4. Gentle

   not wild, turbulent, or refractory; quiet and docile; tame; peaceable; as, a gentle horse

5. Gentle

   soft; not violent or rough; not strong, loud, or disturbing; easy; soothing; pacific; as, a gentle touch; a gentle gallop

6. Gentlenoun

   one well born; a gentleman

7. Gentlenoun

   a trained falcon. See Falcon-gentil

8. Gentlenoun

   a dipterous larva used as fish bait

9. Gentleverb

   to make genteel; to raise from the vulgar; to ennoble

10. Gentleverb

    to make smooth, cozy, or agreeable

11. Gentleverb

    to make kind and docile, as a horse

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Gentle

   jen′tl, adj. well-born: mild and refined in manners: mild in disposition: amiable: soothing: moderate: gradual.—v.t. (Shak.) to make gentle.—n. (obs.) a person of good family: (Shak.) a trained falcon: the larva of the flesh-fly, used as a bait in angling.—n. Gentilesse′, the quality of being gentle, courtesy.—v.t. Gen′tilise, to raise to the class of gentleman.—n. Gentil′ity, good birth or extraction: good breeding: politeness of manners: genteel people: marks of gentility.—n.pl. Gen′tlefolk, people of good family.—adj. Gen′tle-heart′ed, having a gentle or kind disposition.—n. Gen′tlehood, position or character attaching to gentle birth.—n. Gen′tleness.—adv. Gent′ly.—n. Gen′trice, gentle birth, courtesy.—Gentle reader, courteous reader, an old-fashioned phrase common in the prefaces of books.—The gentle craft, a phrase used to specify shoe-making, also angling; The gentle (or gentler) sex, women in general as opposed to the stern or sterner sex. [Fr.,—L. gentilis. See Genteel.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. gentle

   A maggot or grub used as a bait by anglers.

Matched Categories

1. • Calm
   • Pet
   • Promote

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'gentle' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3334

2. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'gentle' in Adjectives Frequency: #462

Anagrams for gentle »

1. telegn

How to pronounce gentle?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say gentle in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of gentle in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of gentle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of gentle in a Sentence

1. Lesley Fallowfield:

   TV and films rarely ever depict normal deaths, for many individuals, death is a gentle, peaceful and pain-free event. Although grieving the loss of loved ones can be a difficult process, some people do speak about their loved ones death as having beena positive experience. We need to demystify death and talk about it more.

2. Oliver Cromwell:

   I had rather have a plain, russet-coated Captain, that knows what he fights for, and loves what he knows, than that which you call a Gentle-man and is nothing else.

3. Celine Dion:

   He will be remembered as a gentle man, generous and kind, an unprecedented visionary, a modern Pygmalion, a Renaissance man.

4. Roger King:

   I have a cat named Trash. In the current political climate it would seem that if I were trying to sell him (at least to a Computer Scientist), I would not stress that he is gentle to humans and is self-sufficient, living mostly on field mice. Rather, I would argue that he is object-oriented.

5. Saint Teresa of Avila:

   Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.

Popularity rank by frequency of use