gentle

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gen·tle / ˈjentl/ • adj. (gen·tler, gen·tlest) 1. (of a person) mild in temperament or behavior; kind or tender: he was a gentle, sensitive man. ∎ archaic (of a person) noble or having the qualities attributed to noble birth; courteous; chivalrous.2. moderate in action, effect, or degree; not harsh or severe: a little gentle persuasion a gentle breeze. ∎  (of a slope) gradual: a gentle embankment.• v. make or become gentle; calm or pacify: [intr.] Cobb's tone gentled a little. ∎  [tr.] touch gently: her lips were gentling his cheek. ∎  [tr.] make (an animal) docile by gentle handling: a bird that has been gentled enough to sit on the hand.DERIVATIVES: gen·tle·ness n.gen·tly / -tlē/ adv.

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