Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gentle

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.17 in modern English

Syllables: gen-tle
IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/

7

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

adj

Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.

adj

Docile and easily managed.

adj

Gradual rather than steep or sudden.

adj

Polite and respectful rather than rude.

adj

Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.

Archaic

verb

To become gentle.

Intransitive verb

verb

Obsolete; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Stuart is a gentle man; he would never hurt you."
"A good heart, these days, is hard to find / So please be gentle with this heart of mine"
"I felt something touch my shoulder; it was gentle and a little slimy."
"Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light."
"Raj took a deep breath, and reached out to give Armitage the gentlest little stroke. “It’s nippy out. Let’s take him inside.”"
"As for daytime sun protection, Dr. Bowe said mineral sunscreens made with zinc oxide may be gentler on sensitized skin than chemical formulas."

Etymology

From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *ǵenh₁-, gentil, gentilis

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/
British English: /ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/

Usage

Inflected Forms

gentler (comparative) more gentle (comparative) gentlest (superlative) most gentle (superlative) gentles (present, singular) gentling (participle, present) gentled (participle, past) gentled (past) gentles (plural)

Derived Forms

gentilly gentlebeing gentlefolk gentlefolks gentlegirl gentlehearted gentlehood gentleman gentleness gentleship gentlesome gentlethem

Phrases

flower-gentle gentle and simple gentle as a lamb gentle craft gentle giant gentle-handed gentle-hearted gentle-heartedly

Synonyms

silken friendly kind polite respectful easy soft aristocratic aristocratical blue blue-blooded patrician

Antonyms

rude

Rhymes With

mental environmental fundamental experimental dental rental continental instrumental non-governmental accidental parental developmental

Questions

How do you pronounce gentle?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/.
What does gentle mean?: Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
Where does gentle come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce gentle

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “gentle”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “gentle”.
Repeat and practice — Say “gentle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.