Gentle word meaning and definition

[adjective] marked by moderate steepness; "an easy climb"; "a gentle slope"
[adjective] having little impact; "an easy pat on the shoulder"; "gentle rain"; "a gentle breeze"; "a soft (or light) tapping at the window"
[adjective] 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"
[adjective] quiet and soothing; "a gentle voice"; "a gentle nocturne"
[adjective] soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe; "a gentle reprimand"; "a vein of gentle irony"; "poked gentle fun at him"
[adjective] 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"
[adjective] easily handled or managed; "a gentle old horse, docile and obedient"
[verb] stroke soothingly
[verb] cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of; "She managed to mollify her angry boss"
[verb] give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility

\Gen"tle\, a. [Compar. {Gentler}; superl. {Gentlest}.] [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. British society is divided into nobility, gentry, and yeomanry, and families are either noble, gentle, or simple. --Johnson's Cyc. The studies wherein our noble and gentle youth ought to bestow their time. --Milton. 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. ``Gentle sirs.'' ``Gentle Jew.'' ``Gentle servant.'' --Shak. 4. Not wild, turbulent, or refractory; quiet and docile; tame; peaceable; as, a gentle horse. 5. Soft; not violent or rough; not strong, loud, or disturbing; easy; soothing; pacific; as, a gentle touch; a gentle gallop . ``Gentle music.'' --Sir J. Davies. O sleep! it is a gentle thing. --Coleridge. {The gentle craft}, the art or trade of shoemaking. Syn: Mild; meek; placid; dovelike; quiet; peaceful; pacific; bland; soft; tame; tractable; docile. Usage: {Gentle}, {Tame}, {Mild}, {Meek}. Gentle describes the natural disposition; tame, that which is subdued by training; mild implies a temper which is, by nature, not easily provoked; meek, a spirit which has been schooled to mildness by discipline or suffering. The lamb is gentle; the domestic fowl is tame; John, the Apostle, was mild; Moses was meek.
\Gen"tle\, n. 1. One well born; a gentleman. [Obs.] Gentles, methinks you frown. --Shak. 2. A trained falcon. See {Falcon-gentil}. 3. (Zo["o]l.) A dipterous larva used as fish bait.
\Gent"le\, v. t. 1. To make genteel; to raise from the vulgar; to ennoble. [Obs.] --Shak. 2. To make smooth, cozy, or agreeable. [R. or Poet.] To gentle life's descent, We shut our eyes, and think it is a plain. --Young. 3. To make kind and docile, as a horse. [Colloq.]

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