gentle stroke
1
3.1
- noun
- The therapist used gentle strokes on the patient's back to help them relax.
- hair with gentle strokes
- long, gentle strokes
Examples
-
Aunt Hattie sat very still while Maisey gently brushed her hair with long, gentle strokes.
Fiction book (1997) -
Make gentle strokes on each side of the mouth, including your tongue.
Blog text (7) -
She brushed my hair with slow, gentle strokes.
Fiction book (1995) -
Her mother's hand stroked her hair—slow, gentle strokes, over and over, until Rose was lulled to the brink of sleep.
Fiction book (1992) -
She calmed the baby with gentle strokes on his cheek, soothing him to sleep.
-
After the long day, he sat in the chair, enjoying her gentle strokes through his hair.
Synonyms
11
3.9
A gentle, brief contact made with little force
10
2.5
A gentle touch or caress with the hand
9
3.7
A gentle way of touching or handling people and objects
1
1.8
A gentle touch on the arm to show comfort or support
Antonyms
How Gentle
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents contribute directly to the meaning: 'gentle' denotes mildness/kindness and 'stroke' denotes a soft caress, so the combined noun phrase straightforwardly means a soft, comforting touch. This is a regular adjective+noun composition found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The phrase gentle stroke comes from the image of someone using a soft stroke with a light, gentle hand to calm another person or an animal. So, it now means 'a soft, light touch made to offer comfort or reassurance'.