gently

Definition of gentlynext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gently Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control. Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026 Standing knee-deep in the lo‘i, covered in mud, gently pressing roots into the earth, anchored me in a new way. Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026 Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a medium offset spatula, gently spread to edges, smoothing surface. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026 With anti-lock-brakes, use firm, steady pressure and gently steer. Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026 Her head bobs gently, then sharply tilts at specific moments, particularly when certain words cut through the stream of conversation. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026 Now, press your lower back gently into the floor and brace your core as if preparing for a punch to the stomach. Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026 Its gently curved silhouette and considered material palette (think warm wood and refined metal) bring an artistic sensibility to functional shelving, proving that displaying and organizing books and other objects can be its own kind of design statement. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026 So the Armstrong team employed a series of tests involving fancy scales and gently tipping the capsule. Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gently
Adverb
  • Silseth threw him one pitch, and Alvarez grounded weakly to second.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
  • There were sketches that ran too long, or ended weakly, but were generally redeemed by a young(ish), confident 11-member cast that made the most of them.
    Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • Yet the director, Vanessa Caswill, stages it all with a tenderly forlorn Middle American plausibility.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The making of such a film would look a lot like the funny, tenderly melancholic, and wonderful Candidates of Death.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • Instead, the Lakers superstar pulled up straight over the top of Bryant’s outstretched arm, dropping a fadeaway jumper softly through the net.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Her signature copper red hair, styled by Halley Brisker, was worn softly tousled down her back.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • Ella Stiller arrives as Patience, Valerie’s social-media guru, Jack O’Brien sweetly plays her new hairdresser, and Andrew Scott, doing the most to eradicate any lingering Hot Priest vibes, plays a wildly unctuous NuNet executive.
    Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Redmayne brings a sweetly doltish everyman energy to this increasingly off-kilter affair, with much of the dialogue between him and his co-stars (including Stratton-Twine as the missing woman’s slacker brother) improvised in disarmingly shaggy fashion.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • The da Vinci system’s ability to delicately peel and stitch fruit skin illustrated the fine motor control available to surgeons working on human tissue through minimally invasive incisions.
    Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
  • From 1964 portrait sessions to The Supremes publicity stills in ‘66, the singer’s shapely ‘do often delicately framed her wispy lashes.
    Essence, Essence, 26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • In an interview with US conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, the ambassador was asked about his understanding of a biblical verse suggesting that land including parts of Egypt, Syria and Iraq had been divinely promised to the Jewish people.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
  • When Dunya’s friend Sheefah encourages her to challenge traditions that are supposed to be divinely mandated, certain questions emerge in her mind.
    Hafsa Lodi, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
  • Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.
    Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
  • One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.
    Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • In this story the problem is treated intimately and compassionately by a woman who knows all about it.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Williams says the same approach can help caregivers respond more compassionately when someone with dementia expresses a mistaken belief, confusing idea, or hallucination.
    Brian Unger, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gently. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on gently

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster