gentle
17
9.1
- adjective
- /ˈdʒɛn.təl/
- Archaic
:
noble
- My father was a man of spotless fame of gentle birth, and Dorsett was his name.
- a gentle lady
- of gentle birth
- noble and gentle
Examples
-
"You cannot, for you are of a gentle nature.
Fiction book (1992) -
She was born into a gentle family, known for their long-standing traditions and esteemed heritage.
-
Oh, gentle lady, it's just not for you to hear what I can speak.
-
Come, Son, and go with this gentle lord and me.
-
Oh gentle fair one, we see you.
-
The man who was noble, gentle and kind, the man who walked with God.
-
Obama is a wise and gentle leader who can do no wrong.
Blog text (29) -
Ellen Booker was a gentle, fine-boned woman with perfectly white hair and eyes the same vivid blue as Tom's.
Fiction book (1995) -
Because of Bohm's international fame, I was quite unprepared for the unusually modest, unassuming, gentle person he turned out to be.
Academic text (1993) -
In the court, he was regarded as a gentleman due to his noble lineage and refined manners.
Synonyms
45
8.1
Belonging to a rich, important family
19
7.2
Like people from rich, important families who have high social rank
14
7.7
Polite and elegant in a way that tries to impress others
6
7.2
Polite and elegant like people at a royal court
4
8.6
Having polite, elegant manners like upper class people
1
8.2
A person who comes from a royal or noble family and has high social rank
1
7.4
A person from a noble or wealthy family with polite, refined manners
Belonging to the noble class and showing their manners and style
Idioms
Compounds
- US
Soft, quiet background music played in public places to make people feel relaxed
- NSFW
Physical closeness between partners that is soft, careful, and focused on comfort and trust
Surface Forms
Etymology
Gentle originally meant someone of noble birth, from Old French gentil and Latin gens 'family'. That is why older uses of the word talk about the 'gentle' families or the nobility.