gen ‧ tle S3 W3 /ˈdʒentl/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ gentleness ; adverb : ↑ gently ; adjective : ↑ gentle ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: French ; Origin: gentil , from Latin gentilis 'of a family, of the same family' , from gens ; ⇨ ↑ gentile ]
1 . kind and careful in the way you behave or do things, so that you do not hurt or damage anyone or anything OPP rough :
Arthur was a very gentle, caring person.
gentle voice/smile/touch
‘Where does it hurt?’ she asked in a gentle voice.
gentle with
Be gentle with the baby.
2 . not extreme, strong, or violent
gentle exercise/walk/stroll etc
a program of regular gentle exercise
the gentle pressure of Jill’s hand
After a little gentle persuasion, she agreed to go back to her family.
Melt the butter over a gentle heat (=low heat) .
3 . a gentle wind or rain is soft and light:
a gentle breeze
4 . a gentle hill or slope is not steep or sharp:
the gentle slopes of Mt Pelée
—gentleness noun [uncountable]
⇨ ↑ gently