Crossword Dictionary
GENTle
gentle - a
having or showing a kindly or tender nature; "the gentle touch of her hand"; "her gentle manner was comforting"; "a gentle sensitive nature"; "gentle blue eyes"
quiet and soothing; "a gentle voice"; "a gentle nocturne"
Synonyms
affable, amiable, benign, compassionate, considerate, cool, genial, humane, mellow, moderate, placid, pleasant, quiet, soft, tame, tender, cultivated, disciplined, domesticated, pleasing, taught, trained
Examples
She captured his neck in the noose of her arms, directing his head down to her with a gentle touch of her hand on the back of his neck.
He floated on the updraft of air off the water and then drifted to the beach below, changing into his human form as he landed with a gentle thud on rocky sand.
Deidre had never seen him like this, as a quietly commanding figure, capable of lethal force one moment and gentle kisses the next.
Etymology
early 13c., gentile, gentle "well-born, of noble rank or family," from Old French gentil/jentil "high-born, worthy, noble, of good family; courageous, valiant; fine, good, fair" (11c., in Modern French "nice, graceful, pleasing; fine, pretty") and directly from Latin gentilis "of the same family or clan," in Medieval Latin "of noble or good birth," from gens (genitive gentis) "race, clan," from root of gignere "beget," from PIE root *gene- "to give birth, beget," from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups.