Gentle

How to spell gentle

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce gentle

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does gentle mean?

1. adjectiveMild, soft, or kind in manner, action, or effect, not harsh or forceful.

Gentle in a sentence

• The nurse used a gentle touch when changing the bandage.

• A gentle breeze drifted through the open kitchen window.

Where does gentle come from?

Language of origin: French

Gentle came into English in the early 1200s from the Old French gentil, which meant 'high-born', 'noble', or 'of good family'. That French word descended from the Latin gentilis, meaning 'belonging to the same gens', that is, the same clan or family, and ultimately from gens 'race, stock, family'. The earliest English sense was strictly about birth and rank, describing someone of noble blood, and only later did the meaning soften to the qualities expected of a well-bred person: mildness, kindness, and a soft touch. The same Latin root branched in several directions, giving English the borrowed doublet 'genteel' and, through a separate route, the words 'gentile' and 'gentry', all sharing that idea of family and good breeding. The spelling keeps the French -le ending, and the silent move from 'noble birth' to 'soft manner' is a neat reminder that the trap is meaning, not letters.

How the word is built

• gentl- (from Latin gentilis: of good family, noble)
• -e (final vowel retained from the French form)