gentlyadv.
/ˈdʒɛntli/, U.S. /ˈdʒɛn(t)li/ 1. † a. In a manner befitting, or traditionally associated with, a person of good birth or high social position; nobly, graciously, courteously, generously. In early use also: elegantly, gracefully. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > [adverb] > in a well-mannered way > in well-bred manner
gentlyc1230
gentlemanlyc1425
gentlewomanlikea1528
c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 144 (MED) Swa sutil þing is eadmodnesse & swa gentilliche smeal & se smuhel þet na grune ne mei hire edhalden.
c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 4545 Wele he was y-armed gentilliche.
c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. iii. 13 Gentiliche with Ioye þe Iustise soone Busked him in-to the Bour.
?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 3283 Þe sonne cam also suiþe & cried his fader mercy; þe kyng þerof was bliþe, forgaf him gentilly.
1509 S. Hawes Conuercyon Swerers (de Worde) sig. A.ivv And yf ye dyde ye wolde full gentylly Obeye my byddynge.
1572 J. Bossewell Wks. Armorie ii. f. 85 Couetous persons or niggardes, such as would not gently, or liberally departe from any of their goodes or substance.
1630 R. Norton tr. W. Camden Hist. Princesse Elizabeth i. 83 Oxford [and] Cambridge, which gently enuyed one another.
1685 C. Cotton tr. M. de Montaigne Ess. III. iii. vi. 214 If they would become Tributaries to him, they should be very gently and courteously us'd.
b. From or of a family of high social position. Cf. gently-born adj.Now generally considered old fashioned and chiefly used in historical contexts.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [adverb] > in respect of birth
generously1608
gently1642
1642 T. Fuller Holy State ii. xxiv. 149 His bloud must needs be well purified who is gentilely born on both sides.
1671 F. Philipps Regale Necessarium iii. 200 He..did..prohibit any to go with him but such as..did bear Coats of Arms, or were gently born or discended, except such as had served in the Battle of Agen-Court.
1860 Ld. Tennyson Sea Dreams in Macmillan's Mag. Jan. 191 A city clerk, but gently born and bred.
2011 E. Norton Anne Boleyn (e-book ed.) This was a flattering invitation for Smeaton, who was not gently born.
2. With reference to a person's behaviour, esp. in interpersonal communication: mildly, tenderly, kindly.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > kindness > gentleness or mildness > [adverb]
lithelyc897
softeOE
mildOE
methelyOE
mildlyOE
mansuetelyc1429
gently1525
gentle1548
tenderfully1640
laxly1785
placably1797
unfrowardly1869
1525 R. Whitford tr. Hugh of St. Victor Expos. iv. in tr. St. Augustine Rule f. xlvijv The persone yt is gentylly warned, & wyll not so be refourmed, must nedely more sharply be reproued.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) Prol. 33 Admit me Chorus to this Historie; Who Prologue-like, your humble patience pray, Gently to beare, kindly to iudge our Play.
1681 J. Dryden Absalom & Achitophel To Rdr. p. i That I can write Severely, with more ease, than I can Gently.
1711 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 9 Apr. (1965) I. 99 I can bear being told I am in the wrong, but tell it me gently.
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield II. vii. 101 I gently rebuked their sorrow.
1836 J. H. Newman Parochial Serm. (1837) III. viii. 122 Feeling gently, even when we have reason to act severely.
1904 St. Nicholas Sept. 990/1 His mother..gently but firmly made clear to her youngest son the unwisdom of trying to prove one's self in the right by the argument of a fist.
1912 B. E. Baughan in D. M. Davin N.Z. Short Stories (1953) 114 I do wish you hadn't asked; I was hoping to break it to you gently.
1989 V. Singh In Search of River Goddess 169 An old man..walked up to me, smiled gently and said, ‘You are sad’.
2018 Kirkus Rev. (Nexis) 1 Jan. Young children..are gently reminded by their parents to say ‘hello,’ ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘sorry,’ and ‘good-bye’.
3.
a. Without force, violence, or intensity in action, motion, effect, etc.; lightly, carefully, softly, slowly; gradually; in a quiet, moderate, or subdued manner.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [adverb] > without harshness or gently
lightlyeOE
neshlyeOE
fairOE
neshc1175
softlyc1225
softa1325
hoolya1340
tenderlyc1385
soft and fair(ly)c1391
weakly1398
delicately?a1425
prettilyc1500
gently1533
gentle1548
breathingly1662
blandly1827
sparingly1863
piano1873
gauzily1903
creamily1948
1533 T. Elyot Of Knowl. Wise Man v. f. 101 Per chance within fyue or sixe days that sent wyll be gone, & the wyne wyll drynke clene and gentilly.
1540 R. Jonas tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde i. f. xxiv Yf the same secondine breake not of his owne kynde, it shalbe the myd wyfes parte and offyce with her nayles easely and gentely to breake it.
1559 P. Morwyng tr. C. Gesner Treasure of Euonymus 201 Bake the bread therof gentlelye [L. leniter] in an oven.
1600 E. Blount tr. G. F. di Conestaggio Hist. Uniting Portugall to Castill 288 They sailed gently towards the Iland.
1657 R. Ligon True Hist. Barbados 3 The generall Landscape of the hills seemed to one very beautifull, gently rising and falling, without Rockes or high precipices.
1665 R. Hooke Micrographia 78 Thus have I by gently mixing Vermilion and Bise dry, produc'd a very fine Purple.
1776 Trial Maha Rajah Nundocomar for Forgery 76/2 His writer went close to him, and read it gently to him: I was at a distance, and did not hear it.
1833 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. I. 369/1 Tamarind-pulp, although an agreeable laxative, yet operates too gently..when given alone.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xiii. 353 A highway..ascends gently from the low country to the summit of the defile.
1902 R. Bagot Donna Diana xv. 178 When the cool breeze sweeps up from the sea, gently swaying the tops of the cypress-trees.
1958 Listener 20 Nov. 855/2 Stiffly beat the whites of the eggs and fold in gently.
2006 Weekly Times (Melbourne) 25 Jan. 22/1 (advt.) Pull gently until it latches.
b. As an imperative. Used to express disapproval of forcefulness, haste, etc.See also gently does it.
ΚΠ
1638 J. Suckling Aglaura i. 4 [Stage direct. Enter dogging of them, Ariaspes, Jolas.] Jol. Gently! Gently!
1709 A. Hill Walking Statue 12 Have a care, I say, gently, gently.
1806 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life I. vi. 127 Gently, Mr. Testy.
1862 Mrs. H. Wood Channings I. xi. 157 ‘Gently, Tom!’ put in Mr. Channing.
1953 ‘P. Lanham’ & A. S. Mopeli-Paulus Blanket Boy's Moon i. iii. 27 ‘Gently, my baases,’ he whispered through quivering lips.
2000 E. Robinson Monkey Beach i. 94 ‘Whoa, gently, gently’, Mick said as I cranked the engine.
Compounds
C1. With present and past participles, forming adjectives, as in gently curving, gentle sloping, gently spiced, gently swaying, etc.
ΚΠ
?a1656 J. Poole Eng. Parnassus (1657) 535 Encompass'd round with gently rising hills.
1706 N. Rowe Ulysses ii. i. 16 While Neptune smooths his Waters for their Passage, And gently whistling Winds invite their Sails.
1776 W. J. Mickle tr. L. de Camoens Lusiad 300 While to the lute the gently-falling oar Now breaks the surges of the briny tide.
1839 T. N. Talfourd Glencoe iii. ii. 57 Through cluster'd piles Of gently-moulded columns.
1877 R. L. Price Two Americas iii. 39 The country..consisted of gently undulating plains, covered with short herbage.
1947 P. Bourne Drums of Destiny lxxxii. 340 The avenue of gently swaying palm trees.
1960 H. Hayward Connoisseur's Handbk. Antique Collecting 246/1 Some late 18th cent. chairs have a gently curving seat sloping down in the centre.
1989 A. Aird 1990 Good Pub Guide 144 Chicken breast in a gently spiced Greek tomato sauce.
2017 Irish Times (Nexis) 2 Sept. 6 The gently sloping gardens.
C2.
gently-born adj. (of a person) belonging to a family of high social position.Now generally considered old fashioned and chiefly used in historical contexts.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [adjective] > of birth
well-bornOE
ethelbornOE
athelOE
high-bornc1275
noblec1300
great-kinned?c1450
nobly-born1586
ingenious1638
ingenuous1638
gently-born1871
thegn-born1874
hochgeboren1930
society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective] > of birth
gentlec1300
kindc1300
gently-born1871
1871 R. Morris in Legends Holy Rood 6 A gently born bride.
1887 Spectator 2 July 901/2 Refinement and truth, which are still the distinguishing marks of the gently-born Briton.
1931 Times 6 Mar. 20/3 The beautiful, gently-born child of her first marriage.
2016 Burnley Express (Nexis) 16 May An age when the only respectable career for a gently-born girl was marriage.
gently used adj. chiefly North American second-hand but in good condition, having been treated with care or rarely used; nearly-new; cf. gently worn adj.Originally in the language of advertising.
ΚΠ
1937 Amarillo (Texas) Globe 31 Aug. 11/1 (advt.) Gently used cars.
1987 N.Y. Times 21 Sept. 176/2 The planned parenthood thrift shop has some terrific new or gently used fall clothes, all in excellent condition.
2012 A. M. Durham Gifts of Community 40 Donate gently used home furnishings to the Salvation Army or Goodwill store.
gently worn adj. chiefly North American (of clothing, shoes, etc.) second-hand but in good condition, having been treated with care or rarely worn; nearly-new; cf. gently used adj.Originally in the language of advertising.
ΚΠ
1970 Altoona (Pa.) Mirror 17 Feb. 25/8 (advt.) Esther's gently worn and new fashions for women.
2017 East Bay (Calif.) Times (Nexis) 29 Nov. A donation drive to collect non-perishable foods, unwrapped toys, and gently worn coats.
Derivatives
ΚΠ
1851 R. S. Surtees Soapey Sponge's Sporting Tour lxvi, in New Monthly Mag. Feb. 233 There were such climbings on, and clutchings..and gently-ings, and who-ho-ings,..and questionings if ‘such a horse was quiet?’
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adv.c1230