Gentle

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: gen=tle

CIDE DICTIONARY

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.].

•  Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.  [1913 Webster]

  "British society is divided into nobility, gentry, and yeomanry, and families are either noble, gentle, or simple."  [1913 Webster]

  "The studies wherein our noble and gentle youth ought to bestow their time."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A compellative of respect, consideration, or conciliation; as, gentle reader.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  Not wild, turbulent, or refractory; quiet and docile; tame; peaceable; as, a gentle horse.  [1913 Webster]
•  Soft; not violent or rough; not strong, loud, or disturbing; easy; soothing; pacific; as, a gentle touch; a gentle gallop .  Sir J. Davies.  [1913 Webster]

  "O sleep! it is a gentle thing."  [1913 Webster]

The gentle craft, the art or trade of shoemaking.

Syn. -- Mild; meek; placid; dovelike; quiet; peaceful; pacific; bland; soft; tame; tractable; docile.

Gentle, n. 

•  One well born; a gentleman.  [1913 Webster]

  "Gentles, methinks you frown."  [1913 Webster]
•  A trained falcon. See Falcon-gentil.  [1913 Webster]
•  A dipterous larva used as fish bait.  [1913 Webster]

Gentle, v. t. 

•  To make genteel; to raise from the vulgar; to ennoble.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make smooth, cozy, or agreeable.  [1913 Webster]

  "To gentle life's descent,
  We shut our eyes, and think it is a plain."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make kind and docile, as a horse.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Gentle, adj., v., & n.
--adj. (gentler, gentlest)
1 not rough; mild or kind, esp. in temperament.
2 moderate; not severe or drastic (a gentle rebuke; a gentle breeze).
3 (of birth, pursuits, etc.) honourable, of or fit for people of good social position.
4 quiet; requiring patience (gentle art).
5 archaic generous, courteous.
--v.tr.
1 make gentle or docile.
2 handle (a horse etc.) firmly but gently.
--n. a maggot, the larva of the meat-fly or bluebottle used as fishing-bait.

Derivative

gentleness n. gently adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF gentil f. L gentilis: see GENTILE

THESAURUS

Gentle

accepting, acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, accustom, adapt, adjust, affable, agreeable, ambling, amiable, appease, aristocratic, balmy, barely audible, bed, bed down, benign, bland, bleeding, bonhomous, break, break in, break to harness, bridle, broken, brush, bust, calm, calm down, case harden, cautious, charitable, chastened, chivalrous, circumspect, claudicant, clement, commiserative, compassionate, complaisant, compose, condition, condolent, confirm, controllable, cool, cordial, cradle, crawling, creeping, creeping like snail, cultivated, cultured, curry, currycomb, cushion, dainty, decrescendo, deliberate, delicate, dim, distant, docile, domesticate, domesticated, domesticize, dovelike, drench, ducal, dulcify, ease, easy, easy-natured, easygoing, establish, even out, exalted, faint, faint-voiced, faltering, familiarize, feeble, feed, fix, flagging, fluff, fodder, foot-dragging, forbearant, forbearing, forgiving, genial, genteel, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gradual, groom, habituate, halcyon, half-heard, halting, handle, harden, harness, high, highbred, hitch, hobbled, hobbling, housebreak, housebroken, human, humane, humble, hush, hushed, idle, indistinct, indolent, indulgent, inure, judicious, kind, kindly, kinglike, kingly, knead, knightly, ladylike, lamblike, languid, languorous, lax, laxate, lazy, leisurely, lenient, light, limber, limber up, limping, litter, loosen, low, lull, lumbering, manage, manageable, mash, massage, meek, mellow, mellowy, melting, merciful, mild, mild as milk, milden, milk, moderate, mollified, mollify, murmured, naturalize, noble, nonresistive, nonrigid, nonviolent, of gentle blood, of rank, orient, orientate, pacific, pacifistic, pacify, patient, patrician, peaceable, peaceful, pianissimo, piano, pitying, placid, pleasant, pleasing, plump, poking, poky, polished, pour balm into, princelike, princely, prudent, pulp, queenlike, queenly, quell, quiet, quite the lady, refined, relax, relaxed, reluctant, rest, restful, rock, rock to sleep, rub down, ruthful, saddle, sauntering, scarcely heard, season, serene, shake up, shuffling, slack, slothful, slow, slow as death, slow as molasses, slow as slow, slow-crawling, slow-foot, slow-going, slow-legged, slow-moving, slow-paced, slow-poky, slow-running, slow-sailing, slow-stepped, sluggish, smash, smooth, smooth down, smooth over, smoothen, snail-paced, snaillike, sober, soft, soft as putty, soft-sounding, soft-voiced, soften, soften up, softened, softhearted, soothe, soothing, squash, stabilize, staggering, steady, still, strolling, subaudible, subdue, subdued, supple, sweet, sweet-tempered, sympathetic, sympathizing, tame, tamed, temperate, tend, tender, tenderhearted, tenderize, tentative, thoughtful, titled, toddling, tolerant, tone down, tortoiselike, tottering, tractable, train, tranquil, tranquilize, trudging, tune down, turtlelike, unclear, understanding, undisturbed, unhurried, unruffled, untroubled, waddling, warmhearted, water, weak, weak-voiced, well-bred, well-brought-up, well-natured, whisper-soft, whispered, wont, yoke

ROGET THESAURUS

Gentle

Lenity

N lenity, lenience, leniency, moderation, tolerance, toleration, mildness, gentleness, favor, indulgence, indulgency, clemency, mercy, forbearance, quarter, compassion, lenient, mild, mild as milk, gentle, soft, tolerant, indulgent, easy-going, clement, forbearing, long-suffering.

Inexcitability

VB be composed, laisser faire, laisser aller, take things easily, take things as they come, take it easy, rub on, live and let live, take easily, take cooly, take in good part, aequam servare mentem, bear the brunt, bear well, go through, support, endure, brave, disregard, tolerate, suffer, stand, bide, abide, aby, bear with, put up with, take up with, abide with, acquiesce, submit, submit with a good grace, resign oneself to, reconcile oneself to, brook, digest, eat, swallow, pocket, stomach, make light of, make the best of, make 'a virtue of necessity', put a good face on, keep one's countenance, check, check oneself, compose, appease (moderate), propitiate, repress, render insensible, overcome one's excitability, allay one's excitability, repress one's excitability, master one's feelings, make oneself easy, make one's mind easy, set one's mind at ease, set one's mind at rest, calm down, cool down, gentle, thaw, grow cool, be borne, be endured, go down.

Moderation

N moderation, lenity, temperateness, gentleness, sobriety, quiet, mental calmness, moderating, anaphrodisia, relaxation, remission, mitigation, tranquilization, assuagement, contemporation, pacification, measure, juste milieu, golden mean, ariston metron, moderator, lullaby, sedative, lenitive, demulcent, antispasmodic, carminative, laudanum, rose water, balm, poppy, opiate, anodyne, milk, opium, poppy or mandragora, wet blanket, palliative, moderate, lenient, gentle, mild, mellow, cool, sober, temperate, reasonable, measured, tempered, calm, unruffled, quiet, tranquil, still, slow, smooth, untroubled, tame, peaceful, peaceable, pacific, halcyon, unexciting, unirritating, soft, bland, oily, demulcent, lenitive, anodyne, hypnotic, sedative, antiorgastic, anaphrodisiac, mild as mother's milk, milk and water, moderately, gingerly, piano, under easy sail, at half speed, within bounds, within compass, in reason, est modue in rebus, pour oil on troubled waters.

Courtesy

N courtesy, respect, good manners, good behavior, good breeding, manners, politeness, bienseance, urbanity, comity, gentility, breeding, polish, presence, civility, civilization, amenity, suavity, good temper, good humor, amiability, easy temper, complacency, soft tongue, mansuetude, condescension, affability, complaisance, pr_evenance, amability, gallantry, pink of politeness, pink of courtesy, compliment, fair words, soft words, sweet words, honeyed phrases, ceremonial salutation, reception, presentation, introduction, accueil, greeting, recognition, welcome, abord, respects, devoir, regards, remembrances, kind regards, kind remembrances, love, best love, duty, empty encomium, flattering remark, hollow commendation, salaams, obeisance, bow, courtesy, curtsy, scrape, salaam, kotow, kowtow, bowing and scraping, kneeling, genuflection, obsequiousness, capping, shaking hands grip of the hand, embrace, hug, squeeze, accolade, loving cup, vin d'honneur, pledge, love token, kiss, buss, salute, mark of recognition, nod, nods and becks and wreathed smiles, valediction, condolence, courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane, well-behaved, well- mannered, well-bred, well-brought up, good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated, refined, gentlemanlike, gallant, on one's good behavior, fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken, honey-mouthed, honey- tongued, oily, bland, obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent, obsequious, ingratiating, winning, gentle, mild, good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar, neighborly, diplomatic, tactful, politic, artful, courteously, with a good grace, with open arms, with outstretched arms, a bras ouverts, suaviter in modo, in good humor, Int, hail!, welcome!, well met!, ave!, all hail!, good day, good morrow!, Godspeed!, pax vobiscum!, may your shadow never be less!, Tien de plus estimable que la ceremonie, the very pink of courtesy.

Slowness

N slowness, languor, drawl, creeping, lentor, retardation, slackening, delay, claudication, jog trot, dog trot, mincing steps, slow march, slow time, slow goer, slow coach, slow back, lingerer, loiterer, sluggard, tortoise, snail, poke, dawdle, slow, slack, tardy, dilatory, gentle, easy, leisurely, deliberate, gradual, insensible, imperceptible, glacial, languid, sluggish, slow paced, tardigrade, snail-like, creeping, reptatorial, slowly, leisurely, piano, adagio, largo, larghetto, at half speed, under easy sail, at a foots pace, at a snail's pace, at a funeral pace, in slow time, with mincing steps, with clipped wings, haud passibus aequis, gradually, gradatim, by degrees, by slow degrees, by inches, by little and little, step by step, one step at a time, inch by inch, bit by bit, little by little, seriatim, consecutively, dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit, at a glacial pace.

Faintness

N faintness, faint sound, whisper, breath, undertone, underbreath, murmur, hum, susurration, tinkle, still small voice, hoarseness, raucity, inaudible, scarcely audible, just audible, low, dull, stifled, muffled, hoarse, husky, gentle, soft, faint, floating, purling, flowing, whispered, liquid, soothing, dulcet, susurrant, susurrous, in a whisper, with bated breath, sotto voce, between the teeth, aside, piano, pianissimo, d la sourdine, out of earshot inaudibly, (ii) SPECIFIC SOUNDS.