gently
Americanadverb
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in a kind and amiable manner.
When a child makes a social mistake, an adult should gently and clearly explain what to do in the future to replace the inappropriate behavior.
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in a way that is not rough, harsh, or violent.
New or gently used toys, for both indoor and outdoor use, are requested for donation.
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in a way that is not extreme; moderately.
The ground sloped gently downward until it was almost level with the land on the other side of the stream.
-
softly; quietly.
He sings beautifully and easily at full voice, yet sounds equally compelling when singing more gently and lyrically.
Other Word Forms
- overgently adverb
- ungently adverb
Etymology
Origin of gently
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Downing Street's public account of what was discussed was, to put it gently, rather broad: "They discussed the situation in the Middle East," the readout said.
From BBC
Through all of that, he gently brought inflation down and ushered in the Great Moderation.
From Barron's
Fingers gently graze against a shared water bottle.
From BBC
The mesmerists waved their hands near clients’ faces, gently stroked their arms, or looked intently into their eyes until they fell into a kind of waking sleep.
From Literature
I asked Reynalda gently if she thought she would ever find her son.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
