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Dictionary / gentle

gentle

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)[ˈd͡ʒɛ̃.ɾ̃l̩] (General-American)syllables: gen·tle
  • adjective
  • verb
  • noun
  • from Old French

Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

▶ Play the mastery game

1 All current definitions

Every sense of “gentle” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

adjective

  1. Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

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

  2. Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.

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

  3. Docile and easily managed.

    We had a gentle swim in the lake.

  4. Gradual rather than steep or sudden.

    The walks in this area have a gentle incline.

  5. Polite and respectful rather than rude.

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

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. archaicWell-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb

  1. intransitiveTo become gentle.

    A September morning brought a stiff northeast wind that blew at 30 miles an hour and kept small craft out of the sound. But by afternoon the wind gentled and the sound smoothed.1987 October, Charles E. Cobb, Jr., “North Carolina's Outer Banks”, in National Geographic, volume 172, number 4, page 510:

  2. transitiveTo break; to tame; to domesticate.

    Yakima could have tried to catch him, gentle him as Wolf had been gentled, but having two stallions in his cavvy would lead to a different kind of trouble.2008, Frank Leslie, The Killing Breed, Penguin, →ISBN:

  3. transitiveTo soothe; to calm; to make gentle.

    A hornist, his playing gentled by perspective, is out of sight within the woods, but his notes are heard through or over the murmuring mix of bird song and breeze in leaves.1996, William C. Loring, An American Romantic-realist Abroad: Templeton Strong and His Music, Scarecrow Press, →ISBN, page 201:

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. obsoletetransitiveTo ennoble.
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

noun

  1. A maggot used as bait by anglers.

    Pooh! the whole thing is as alive and wrigging as an angler's box of gentles1846, Douglas William Jerrold, “The History of St. Giles and St. James”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

  2. A trained falcon, or falcon-gentil.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. archaicA person of high birth.
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (10)
  1. verbcause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of — also: pacify, lenify, conciliate, assuage, appease
  2. verbgive a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility — also: ennoble, entitle
  3. verbstroke soothingly
  4. adjectivesoft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe — also: soft
  5. adjectivehaving or showing a kindly or tender nature
  6. adjectivequiet and soothing
  7. adjectivebelonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy — also: aristocratic, aristocratical, blue, blue-blooded, patrician
  8. adjectiveeasily handled or managed — also: docile
  9. adjectivehaving little impact — also: easy, soft
  10. adjectivemarked by moderate steepness — also: easy
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: friendly, kind, polite, respectful

Antonyms: rude

Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)gentle
  2. Middle Englishgentil “courteous, noble”
  3. Old Frenchgentil “high-born, noble”
  4. Latingentilis “of the same family or clan”
  5. Latingens “[Roman] clan”

From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty.

Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “gentle”

flower-gentlegentillygentlebeinggentlefolkgentlefolksgentlegirlgentle-handedgentleheartedgentle-heartedgentle-heartedlygentle-heartednessgentlehoodgentlemangentlenessgentlepersongentleshipgentlesomegentlethemgentlewomangentlyovergentleungentle

Phrases & compounds

gentle and simplegentle as a lambgentle craftgentle giantgentle murder paradoxgentle nor simplegentle or simplegentle sexgo gentle into that good nighttercel gentle
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “gentle” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “gentle” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Old French
Old French gentil “high-born, noble”
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin gens “[Roman] clan”
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“[Roman] clan”
Latin gens
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

gentle a. [OE. gentil, F. gentil noble, pretty, graceful, fr. L. gentilis of the same clan or race, fr. gens, gentis, tribe, clan, race, orig. that which belongs together by birth, fr. the root of genere, gignere, to beget; hence gentle, properly, of birth or family, that is, of good or noble birth. See Gender, and cf. Genteel, Gentil, Gentile, Gentoo, Jaunty.]

  1. Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.
  2. 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. A compellative of respect, consideration, or conciliation; as, gentle reader.
  4. Not wild, turbulent, or refractory; quiet and docile; tame; peaceable; as, a gentle horse.

gentle n.

  1. One well born; a gentleman.
  2. A trained falcon. See Falcon-gentil.
  3. A dipterous larva used as fish bait.

gentle v. t.

  1. To make genteel; to raise from the vulgar; to ennoble.
  2. To make smooth, cozy, or agreeable.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

adjectiveMeaning: Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

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

A good heart, these days, is hard to find / So please be gentle with this heart of mine1985, Maria McKee, “A Good Heart”, performed by Feargal Sharkey:

adjectiveMeaning: Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.

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

Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

adjectiveMeaning: Docile and easily managed.

We had a gentle swim in the lake.

a gentle horse

adjectiveMeaning: Gradual rather than steep or sudden.

The walks in this area have a gentle incline.

adjectiveMeaning: Polite and respectful rather than rude.

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

verbMeaning: To become gentle.

A September morning brought a stiff northeast wind that blew at 30 miles an hour and kept small craft out of the sound. But by afternoon the wind gentled and the sound smoothed.1987 October, Charles E. Cobb, Jr., “North Carolina's Outer Banks”, in National Geographic, volume 172, number 4, page 510:

adjectiveMeaning: soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

a gentle reprimand

a vein of gentle irony

adjectiveMeaning: having or showing a kindly or tender nature

the gentle touch of her hand

her gentle manner was comforting

adjectiveMeaning: quiet and soothing

a gentle voice

a gentle nocturne

adjectiveMeaning: belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy

of gentle blood

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “gentle” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

gentle

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/ · gen·tle

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

gentle

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/ · gen·tle · adjective, verb, noun

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “gentle” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (adjective) Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
2. (adjective) Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.
3. (adjective) Docile and easily managed.
4. (adjective) Gradual rather than steep or sudden.
5. (adjective) Polite and respectful rather than rude.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“Stuart is a gentle man; he would never hurt you.”

A. Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
B. To become gentle.
C. Gradual rather than steep or sudden.

Circle the meaning used.

“I felt something touch my shoulder; it was gentle and a little slimy.”

A. Gradual rather than steep or sudden.
B. To break; to tame; to domesticate.
C. Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.

Circle the meaning used.

“We had a gentle swim in the lake.”

A. Docile and easily managed.
B. Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
C. Gradual rather than steep or sudden.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “gentle” come into English from?   A. Old French  B. Middle French  C. Late Latin  D. Latin

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “gentle” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin gens. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “gentle” to mean: Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
Write a sentence using “gentle” to mean: Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.
Write a sentence using “gentle” to mean: Docile and easily managed.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — gentle

Which meaning, sentence 1: A. Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

Which meaning, sentence 2: C. Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.

Which meaning, sentence 3: A. Docile and easily managed.

Origin: A. Old French (Old French gentil)

Journey: English gentle ← Middle English gentil ← Old French gentil ← Latin gentilis ← Latin gens

Some derivatives: flower-gentle, gentilly, gentlebeing, gentlefolk, gentlefolks, gentlegirl, gentle-handed, gentlehearted

Original meaning: Latin gens — “[Roman] clan”

Etymology: From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty.

Sources: Wiktionary “gentle” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gentle#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/gentle