gentle
(redirected from gentled)Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
gen·tle
(jĕn′tl)adj. gen·tler, gen·tlest
1. Considerate or kindly in disposition; amiable and tender.
2. Not harsh or severe; mild and soft: a gentle scolding; a gentle tapping at the window.
3. Easily managed or handled; docile: a gentle horse.
4. Not steep or sudden; gradual: a gentle incline.
5.
a. Of good family; wellborn: a child of gentle birth.
b. Suited to one of good breeding; refined and polite: a gentle greeting to a stranger.
6. Archaic Noble; chivalrous: a gentle knight.
n. Archaic
One of good birth or relatively high station.
tr.v. gen·tled, gen·tling, gen·tles
1. To make less severe or intense: The peaceful sunset gentled her dreadful mood.
2. To soothe, as by stroking; pacify.
3. To tame or break (a horse).
4. Obsolete To raise to the status of a noble.
[Middle English gentil, courteous, noble, from Old French, from Latin gentīlis, of the same clan, from gēns, gent-, clan; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
gen′tle·ness n.
gen′tly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
gentle
(ˈdʒɛntəl)adj
1. having a mild or kindly nature or character
2. soft or temperate; mild; moderate: a gentle scolding.
3. gradual: a gentle slope.
4. easily controlled; tame: a gentle horse.
5. archaic of good breeding; noble: gentle blood.
6. archaic gallant; chivalrous
vb (tr)
7. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) to tame or subdue (a horse)
8. to appease or mollify
9. obsolete to ennoble or dignify
n
10. (Zoology) a maggot, esp when used as bait in fishing
11. archaic a person who is of good breeding
[C13: from Old French gentil noble, from Latin gentīlis belonging to the same family; see gens]
ˈgently adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
gen•tle
(ˈdʒɛn tl)adj. -tler, -tlest, adj.
1. kindly; amiable: a gentle manner.
2. not severe, rough, or violent; mild: a gentle tap on the arm.
3. moderate: gentle heat.
4. not steep; gradual: a gentle slope.
5. of good birth or family.
6. characteristic of good birth; respectable: a gentle upbringing.
7. easily handled or managed: a gentle animal.
8. soft or low: a gentle sound.
9. refined; courteous.
10. Archaic. noble; chivalrous: a gentle knight.
v.t. 11. to tame; render tractable.
12. to mollify; calm.
13. to make gentle.
14. to stroke; soothe by petting.
15. to ennoble; dignify.
[1175–1225; < Old French gentil highborn < Latin gentīlis; see gentile]
gen′tle•ness, n.
gen′tly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
gentle
Past participle: gentled
Gerund: gentling
| Imperative |
|---|
| gentle |
| gentle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  gentle - cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of; "She managed to mollify the angry customer"calm, still, tranquilize, tranquillise, tranquillize, calm down, quiet, quieten, lull - make calm or still; "quiet the dragons of worry and fear" |
| 2. |  gentle - give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobilityelevate, kick upstairs, promote, upgrade, advance, raise - give a promotion to or assign to a higher position; "John was kicked upstairs when a replacement was hired"; "Women tend not to advance in the major law firms"; "I got promoted after many years of hard work" baronetise, baronetize - confer baronetcy upon; "He was baronetized for his loyalty to the country" lord - make a lord of someone | |
| 3. | gentle - stroke soothingly pet - stroke or caress gently; "pet the lamb" | |
| Adj. | 1. | gentle - soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe; "a gentle reprimand"; "a vein of gentle irony"; "poked gentle fun at him" mild - moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme; "a mild winter storm"; "a mild fever"; "fortunately the pain was mild"; "a mild rebuke"; "mild criticism" |
| 2. | gentle - 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" kind - having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior; "kind to sick patients"; "a kind master"; "kind words showing understanding and sympathy"; "thanked her for her kind letter" | |
| 3. | gentle - quiet and soothing; "a gentle voice"; "a gentle nocturne" soft - (of sound) relatively low in volume; "soft voices"; "soft music" | |
| 4. |  gentle - 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"noble - of or belonging to or constituting the hereditary aristocracy especially as derived from feudal times; "of noble birth" | |
| 5. | gentle - easily handled or managed; "a gentle old horse, docile and obedient" | |
| 6. | gentle - having little impact; "an easy pat on the shoulder"; "gentle rain"; "a gentle breeze"; "a soft (or light) tapping at the window" light - of little intensity or power or force; "the light touch of her fingers"; "a light breeze" | |
| 7. | gentle - marked by moderate steepness; "an easy climb"; "a gentle slope" gradual - (of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt; "a gradual slope" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
gentle
adjective
1. kind, loving, kindly, peaceful, soft, quiet, pacific, tender, mild, benign, humane, compassionate, amiable, meek, lenient, placid, merciful, kind-hearted, sweet-tempered, tender-hearted a quiet and gentle man who liked sports and enjoyed life
kind hard, rough, aggressive, fierce, harsh, cruel, savage, unkind, heartless, impolite
kind hard, rough, aggressive, fierce, harsh, cruel, savage, unkind, heartless, impolite
2. slow, easy, slight, deliberate, moderate, gradual, imperceptible His movements were gentle and deliberate.
3. moderate, low, light, easy, soft, calm, slight, mild, soothing, clement, temperate, balmy The wind had dropped to a gentle breeze.
moderate strong, powerful, violent
moderate strong, powerful, violent
4. gradual, easy, slight We first practised our skiing on gentle slopes.
gradual sudden, precipitous
gradual sudden, precipitous
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
gentle
adjective1. Of a kindly, considerate character:
1. To ease the anger or agitation of:
appease, assuage, calm (down), conciliate, dulcify, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, soften, soothe, sweeten.
Idiom: pour oil on troubled water.
2. To train to live with and be of use to people:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
لَطيفمُنْحَدَر سَهْلناعِم، مُعْتَدِلنَبِيل
mírnývlídnýjemný
blidroligsvag
hellä
nježan
blíîur, òægilegurvægur, mildurvægur; aflíîandi
優しい
온화한
nestatusnuolaidus
laipnslēnprātīgsliegsmaigsnolaidens
blagpazljiv
varsam
อย่างอ่อนโยน
dịu dàng
gentle
[ˈdʒentl] ADJ (gentler (compar) (gentlest (superl)))1. (= kind, good-natured) [person] → de carácter dulce; [manner, voice] → dulce, delicado; [eyes, smile] → dulce, tierno; [hint, reminder, rebuke] → discreto; [animal] → manso, dócil
to be gentle with sb/sth (= careful) → tener cuidado con algn/algo
be gentle with him, he's had a terrible shock → ten consideración con él, ha sufrido un golpe muy duro
to poke gentle fun at sb → burlarse sin malicia de algn, burlarse cariñosamente de algn
the policy of gentle persuasion had failed → la política de la sutil persuasión había fracasado
try a little gentle persuasion, he might say yes → intenta persuadirlo un poco, puede que diga que sí
he needs a gentle push → necesita un pequeño empuje
the gentle or gentler sex (o.f.) → el bello sexo
as gentle as a lamb → más bueno que el pan, más manso que un cordero
to be gentle with sb/sth (= careful) → tener cuidado con algn/algo
be gentle with him, he's had a terrible shock → ten consideración con él, ha sufrido un golpe muy duro
to poke gentle fun at sb → burlarse sin malicia de algn, burlarse cariñosamente de algn
the policy of gentle persuasion had failed → la política de la sutil persuasión había fracasado
try a little gentle persuasion, he might say yes → intenta persuadirlo un poco, puede que diga que sí
he needs a gentle push → necesita un pequeño empuje
the gentle or gentler sex (o.f.) → el bello sexo
as gentle as a lamb → más bueno que el pan, más manso que un cordero
3. (= light) [touch, pressure, push, breeze] → suave, ligero
there was a gentle tap at the door → se oyeron unos golpecitos a la puerta
there was a gentle tap at the door → se oyeron unos golpecitos a la puerta
4. (= moderate) [exercise] → moderado
cook for 30 minutes over a gentle heat → cocinar durante 30 minutos a fuego lento
we jogged along at a gentle pace → hicimos footing a un ritmo suave
it was too hot even for a gentle stroll → hacía demasiado calor incluso para pasear lentamente
cook for 30 minutes over a gentle heat → cocinar durante 30 minutos a fuego lento
we jogged along at a gentle pace → hicimos footing a un ritmo suave
it was too hot even for a gentle stroll → hacía demasiado calor incluso para pasear lentamente
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
gentle
[ˈdʒɛntəl] adj [person, character] → doux(douce)
[breeze, movement] → léger/ère
(= not steep) [slope] → doux(douce); [hill] → petit(e)
[soap] → doux(douce)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
gentle
adj (+er)
person, disposition → sanft(mütig); animal → zahm; voice, eyes, manner, smile → sanft; treatment → schonend; to be gentle with somebody (physically) → sanft or behutsam mit jdm umgehen; (mentally) → sanft or einfühlsam mit jdm umgehen; to be gentle with something → vorsichtig or behutsam mit etw umgehen; as gentle as a lamb → sanft wie ein Lamm; she needs gentle treatment → sie muss behutsam behandelt werden; the gentle or gentler sex (dated) → das zarte Geschlecht
(= light, soft) touch, caress → sanft, zart; hand → sanft, behutsam; movement, pressure, breeze, wind, rain → sanft, leicht; (= low) heat → mäßig; (= not severe) hill, slope, curve, landscape → sanft; colour → sanft, zart; sound → leise; pace, stroll, exercise → gemächlich; cook over a gentle heat → bei geringer Hitze kochen; we made gentle progress → wir machten langsame, aber stetige Fortschritte
(= mild) detergent, lotion, cream → mild; this detergent is gentle on the skin → dieses Putzmittel schont die Haut
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
gentle
[ˈdʒɛntl] adj (-r (comp) (-st (superl))) (person, slope, voice) → dolce; (touch) → delicato/a; (hint, reminder) → velato/a; (rebuke) → discreto/a; (heat, exercise) → moderato/a; (breeze, sound) → leggero/ato be gentle with sb → trattare qn con delicatezza
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
gentle
(ˈdʒentl) adjective1. (of people) behaving, talking etc in a mild, kindly, pleasant way. a gentle old lady; The doctor was very gentle.
2. not strong or rough. a gentle breeze.
3. (of hills) rising gradually. a gentle slope.
ˈgently adverbˈgentleness noun
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
gentle
→ نَبِيل mírný blid sanft καλόκαρδος gentil, suave hellä gentil nježan delicato 優しい 온화한 zachtaardig mild łagodny gentil добрый varsam อย่างอ่อนโยน kibar dịu dàng 文雅的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
gentle
a. suave, sutil, tierno-a; moderado-a;
adv. suavemente, sutilmente, tiernamente; moderadamente.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
gentle
adj suave, ligeroEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.