gentle

To Barr, the gentle animal is the one living creature to whom he feels safe to confess his secrets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

And instead of registering immediately, the hot honey left a gentle warmth at the back of each bite.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Rosie does not blame the gentle parenting philosophy itself but instead says the overall amount of parenting advice online was "overwhelming" and "made mundane parenting choices feel like the absolute end of the world."

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Releasing Yoruba offerings into the gentle waves of the Caribbean sea.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

In both spots—before his step and after—he felt just a gentle breeze, the sunshine warm on the back of his neck, the pine needles soft beneath his feet.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

For example, perhaps increased closeness to parents facilitated by smartphones or gentler parenting styles leads young adults in their 20s and early 30s to be more comfortable living with their folks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

"Earlier studies often examined gentler bends or relied on external pressure, making this subtle effect difficult to separate," Iyengar said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

But she acknowledges that her distinct approach — kinder, gentler, more tearful — is rooted in her particular skill set: “It’s similar to how I responded to being led in kitchens,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

"I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what."

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Considering all that Kelton has been through, I think he needs better than a tough-love approach from someone who doesn’t actually love him, so I try to be a little bit gentler.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Best For VPN newbies who want the gentlest introduction possible, or anyone who needs quick privacy protection for specific tasks.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

"People have come back to tell me that he had the gentlest soul, he's hard-working - and he was very hard-working right until his last breath."

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

In Sunday’s statement, she dubbed her singer husband “the gentlest of souls” and said “we were equally astonished as fans at Perry’s physical outburst.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2024

Folky fingerpicking and new-agey thoughts about self-help make “Deeper Well” one of the gentlest but firmest rebuffs imaginable.

From New York Times ● Feb. 9, 2024

Wickham’s alarm now appeared in a heightened complexion and agitated look; for a few minutes he was silent, till, shaking off his embarrassment, he turned to her again, and said in the gentlest of accents:

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Coconut milk gentles the green-chile heat in the thick, creamy sauce.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2017

Mallory Ortberg: That’s all for this week, gentles.

From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2016

Saturday's conditions at Whistling Straits led to outstanding scores, as gentles breezes off Lake Michigan, combined with greens that Phil Mickelson described as "pristine, beautiful, large and receptive," produced a festival of birdies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2015

And he gentles the excitable Tushingham into a performance of wonderful precision and variety.

From Time Magazine Archive

Let me alone wi' the gentles, and get thee to the galkeer.

From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 by John Roby

It seems somehow like he’s gentled us into it with benevolent trickery — as if he’d said, “Look! Over there,” and while we were distracted ripped a Band-Aid off our skin.

From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2022

On the phone from Britain, Wainwright speaks in quick, declarative sentences, gentled a bit by her Yorkshire accent with its long A’s, round O’s and forgiving consonants, but still quite direct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2019

I don’t want to be gentled, like I’m something wild and alarming.

From The Guardian ● May 8, 2016

After nearly 20 years as a gallery destination, and despite a spate of sleek new apartment buildings, it is still nothing but art, and it still feels surprisingly raw — gentrified but not especially gentled.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2011

“No, Empress. Not as we understand the word. But he knows her, and she has gentled him, that’s true, and I don’t think he poses any danger to her—as long as I’m here.”

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

The material doesn’t want sophisticated adults mucking about in it or, worse, gentling its hard edges for commercial consumption.

From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2024

Like a grade-school teacher, the matrix provides a physical framework that supports and organizes the cells, gentling and channeling them to harmoniously create a functional tissue.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2024

These handling and gentling exercises will essentially be like playing doctor with your puppy.

From Fox News ● Mar. 23, 2022

This gentling spares many vulnerable kids years of suffering.

From Slate ● Apr. 8, 2013

Gradually we drifted off, the whispers of breeze-blown branches and the breathing of horses gentling us to sleep.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs