gentle as a lamb
1
3.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
gentil como un cordero
- Despite his large size, he was known to be gentle as a lamb with anyone he met.
Examples
-
He's as gentle as a lamb.
-
He's as gentle as a lamb.
-
A humble soul, he is, with a heart as gentle as a lamb.
-
No, he's gentle as a lamb with us.
-
He's as gentle as a lamb.
-
He is as gentle as a lamb.
-
He's really gentle as a lamb, as a result of being raised in captivity.
-
One minute he... he's gentle as a lamb, and the next minute he's a monster.
-
His voice was soft and soothing; he spoke gentle as a lamb to the frightened child.
-
The dog was gentle as a lamb, always playing quietly with the children.
Synonyms
534
1.0
Being helpful and caring toward other people
146
1.0
Easy to handle or train and not aggressive
110
1.6
Showing care and kindness in a gentle way
72
3.3
A person who is gentle and not forceful
19
3.4
A person who is gentle, calm, and not aggressive
12
4.4
Quiet and gentle and not likely to speak up
2
3.2
Kind and gentle toward others
1
3.4
A person who feels sorry for others and helps them
Very gentle and quiet like a lamb
Gentle in manner and tone, not likely to offend
Antonyms
How Gentle
Surface Forms
Morphology
The simile structure 'gentle as a lamb' directly combines 'gentle' with the comparative marker 'as' and the noun 'lamb', and the cultural stereotype of lambs being meek/harmless makes the intended meaning immediately clear. This is a basic, cross-linguistically common metaphorical comparison, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the expression means very gentle or mild.
Etymology
The phrase gentle as a lamb comes from the image of a young sheep: a lamb is soft, quiet, and calm. So saying someone is gentle as a lamb means they are 'very gentle' and kind.