English · Word Candidate

gentle

/ˈdʒɛntl̩/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: gentler · gentlest · gentles · gentling

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Dịu dàng và dễ mến, có tính cách xem xét hoặc nhân từ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Stuart is a gentle man; he would never hurt you.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Mềm và nhẹ chứ không cứng hoặc nghiêm khắc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

I felt something touch my shoulder; it was gentle and a little slimy.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To become gentle.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

trở nên dịu dàng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

“She's experienced a horrific and nasty scare and is in a state of shock, but otherwise she's relatively okay.” Conrad replied, his tone at first grim (as he recalled what he'd seen in the family room) and then it gentled to a more doctorial tone as he directed his next comments to his patient.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To break; to tame; to domesticate.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Vỗ về, thuần hóa, làm cho trở nên ngoan ngoãn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

Yakima could have tried to catch him, gentle him as Wolf had been gentled, but having two stallions in his cavvy would lead to a different kind of trouble.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “gentle” mean?

Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

Is “gentle” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.