gentleness
gb/d͡ʒˈɛntəlnəs/ us/d͡ʒˈɛntəlnəs/
B2
Inglese
~ 6800
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Sostantivo
B2
property
1
kind and caring way of behaving
The quality of being kind and calm, and not hard or cruel, especially in how you act or speak to people.
Schema d'uso:
[someone]'s gentleness toward [someone]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes use "softness" instead of "gentleness" for behavior (e.g., *"his softness with the children"*). "Softness" usually describes physical things (like a pillow), while "gentleness" is preferred for how someone treats others or speaks.
Sinonimi
kindness (General word for being friendly and helpful; does not always suggest softness or calm like "gentleness" does.)
|
tenderness (Stresses warm, loving care, often in close or emotional relationships; slightly more emotional than "gentleness.")
Contrari
harshness (Describes behavior or speech that is hard, severe, or unkind, the opposite of gentle treatment.)
|
cruelty (Focuses on taking pleasure in hurting others, strongly contrasting with the caring aspect of gentleness.)
Collocazioni
remarkable gentleness
|show gentleness
|treat [someone] with gentleness
|with great gentleness
|gentleness and compassion
Temi
emotions
|character
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- Her gentleness with the children made them feel safe and understood.
- He spoke with such gentleness that everyone in the room relaxed.
- They remembered their grandfather for his quiet strength and gentleness.
- Despite her anger, he answered with patience and gentleness.
- The nurse's gentleness helped calm the worried patient.
Esempi per chi studia
- I will always remember her gentleness to me when I was sick.
- The teacher shows great gentleness when she talks to shy students.
- His gentleness makes it easy to talk about difficult things.
- Please treat the new student with gentleness and care.
Sostantivo
B2
property
2
softness in touch or movement
The quality of touching, holding, or moving something in a soft, careful way, without using much force.
Schema d'uso:
the gentleness of [someone]'s touch
Errore comune:
Learners may confuse this sense with emotional gentleness in behavior. This meaning is about physical touch or movement (e.g., "the gentleness of her hands"), not general personality.
Sinonimi
softness (Often describes the feel of a surface, but can also describe a light, non-forceful touch similar to this sense of "gentleness.")
|
delicacy (Emphasizes careful, precise handling of something fragile; slightly more formal than "gentleness.")
Contrari
roughness (Describes touch or movement that is hard, careless, or likely to cause damage, the direct opposite of gentle handling.)
|
forcefulness (Highlights strong, powerful action rather than light and careful movement.)
Collocazioni
the gentleness of his touch
|handle with gentleness
|move with gentleness
|with great gentleness
|gentleness of her movements
Temi
physical_actions
|safety
|health
|body
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The gentleness of his touch surprised her after his loud words.
- She picked up the injured bird with great gentleness.
- The massage therapist worked with such gentleness that the pain slowly faded.
- You need more gentleness when you wash that delicate fabric.
- The doctor examined the baby with a professional calm and gentleness.
Esempi per chi studia
- He held the baby with gentleness.
- Please use gentleness when you brush her hair.
- The nurse showed gentleness as she cleaned the cut.
- We must move the old man with gentleness so we do not hurt him.
Sostantivo
C1
property
3
mildness or lack of severity
The quality of not being very strong or hard, for example when talking about the weather, a punishment, or a treatment.
Schema d'uso:
the gentleness of [something] (e.g., the climate, the sentence)
Errore comune:
Learners may overuse "soft" here (e.g., *"soft winter"* or *"soft punishment"*). In these contexts, "mild" or "gentleness"/"mildness" is more natural: "a mild winter," "the gentleness of the punishment."
Sinonimi
mildness (Very close in meaning; commonly used for weather, flavors, and penalties, similar to this sense of "gentleness.")
|
leniency (Refers especially to mild punishment or relaxed rules; more legal or formal than "gentleness.")
Contrari
severity (Direct opposite, describing great harshness or strictness, especially in climate, rules, or punishment.)
|
intensity (Highlights a high degree of strength or force, contrasting with the mild character implied by "gentleness.")
Collocazioni
the gentleness of the climate
|the gentleness of the treatment
|the gentleness of the sentence
|relative gentleness
|due to its gentleness
Temi
weather
|law
|health
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The gentleness of the climate allows crops to grow all year round.
- Many patients appreciate the gentleness of this new treatment.
- Some critics argued that the gentleness of the sentence sent the wrong message.
- We were surprised by the gentleness of the winter in this region.
- Its gentleness makes the medication suitable for children and the elderly.
Esempi per chi studia
- The gentleness of the weather makes this island popular.
- Doctors like the gentleness of this drug on the stomach.
- People complained about the gentleness of the punishment.
- The gentleness of the rules helps new workers feel relaxed.
Grammatica
Forma base
gentleness
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈɛntəlnəs/
US/d͡ʒˈɛntəlnəs/
Sillabe e accento
gen - tle - ness (3 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (gen)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: gentleness
- Plural: gentleness
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
treat [someone] with gentleness
1/tɹˈit sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ d͡ʒˈɛntəlnəs/
fixed phrase
behave kindly and softly toward someone
To be kind and soft when you deal with a person, and not hard or cruel.
Esempi
- Teachers are encouraged to treat students with gentleness and respect.
- We should treat ourselves with gentleness when we make mistakes.
with gentleness
1/wˈɪθ d͡ʒˈɛntəlnəs/
fixed phrase
in a gentle, not harsh way
In a way that is soft, careful, and not hard or rough.
Esempi
- She spoke with gentleness, even though she was upset.
- Handle the old book with gentleness so the pages do not tear.