Gentleness Meaning
/ˈd͡ʒɛntl̩nəs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe state of being gentle.
Sentence Examples
He had a gentleness that was attractive to women.
Gentleness and cheerfulness, these come before all morality; they are the perfect duties.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of the mother's touch immediately calmed the crying baby.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She handled the fragile antique vase with extreme ____ to ensure that it would not be damaged.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English gentilnesse; equivalent to gentle + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[S]he [Sabrina, a water nymph] reviv'd, / And undervvent a quicke, immortall change / Made goddeſſe of the river; ſtill ſhe retaines / Her maiden gentleneſſe, […]"
— 1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC, page 29:
"Willie spends his bus money home playing a song to dance to on the jukebox in an effort to comfort Sam, and unlike Hally, who struck out at his old friend when his life began to go wrong, Sam does not pass down Hally's hatefulness, but instead treats Willie with the same gentleness he has shown toward him throughout the play."
— 1983 March 12, Andrea Loewenstein, “Racism Denounced in a Powerful Play”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 20, page 20:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of the mother's touch immediately calmed the crying baby.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She handled the fragile antique vase with extreme ____ to ensure that it would not be damaged.