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- pronunciation:
- jen
t
 l
- features:
- Word History, Word Builder, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| inflections: |
gentler, gentlest |
| definition 1: |
When someone is gentle, they are kind and never want to bring pain or trouble to other people or animals. A gentle person is not mean or cruel.
The librarian at the school is very gentle and all the students love her.- synonyms:
- humane, kind, sweet, tender
- antonyms:
- rough, stern
- similar words:
- considerate
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| definition 2: |
When something is gentle, it is soft or calm. It is not strong and rough.
The waves are gentle today, but yesterday the sea was rough.We opened the window and a gentle breeze came in from outside.- synonyms:
- mild, soft
- antonyms:
- extreme, fierce, furious, hard, harsh, rough, severe, sharp, vicious, violent
- similar words:
- easy, light, peaceful
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| definition 3: |
When hills are gentle, they are not steep. They are easy to ride or walk up.
My brother and I biked up the gentle slope with ease.- synonyms:
- gradual, mild
- antonyms:
- sharp, steep
- similar words:
- moderate, slight
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| definition 4: |
When an animal is gentle, it is not dangerous, and it is easy to control.
A gentle horse is easier to ride.- similar words:
- broken, domestic, tame
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| related words: |
soft, temperate, tender |
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| derivations: |
gently (adv.), gentleness (n.) |
Gentle comes from a Latin word that means "of the same family or race." The present use of "gentle" first occurred in the 1200s.
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