easy
She gently placed the cup on the table.
What does Gently mean?
Gently means in a soft, careful, or kind way.
Dictionary definition
In a soft, careful, calm, or kind way that avoids being rough or harsh.
Example sentences
Gently in a sentence
medium
The nurse spoke gently to the worried child.
hard
Moving gently can protect something fragile from cracking or breaking.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice gently in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Gently
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does gently mean?
The correct answer matches the meaning of gently.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses gently correctly?
Setting the glass down carefully shows the meaning of gently.
Practice 3
Which word is closest in meaning to gently?
Softly is often close in meaning to gently.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Gently
Voice settings
Sounds like
jent · lee · strongest beat: jent
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordGently.
Partadverb.
MeaningGently means in a soft, careful, or kind way.
ExampleExample: She gently placed the cup on the table.
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- jent · lee
- Strongest beat
- jent
- Ending
- lee
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on jent.
Your turn
Say Gently
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Ready when you are.
Nice work—you practiced gently.
Synonyms
Words like Gently
softlyUse when something is done with a light touch or quiet sound.
carefullyUse when the action is done with attention and caution.
tenderlyUse when an action is soft and caring.
Antonyms
Opposite words
roughlyMeans in a hard or careless way.
harshlyMeans in a sharp, severe, or unkind way.
Synonym practice
Want to practice gently synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "Mia gently placed the glass on the table," then compare close word choices. Practice gently synonyms.
Word family
Gently word family
Related words
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Student support
Understand Gently
Hint for students
Gently means in a soft, careful, or kind way.
Common mix-up
Gently does not always mean in a soft. In some sentences, it means careful or kind way.
Try it in class or at home
Write two short sentences that use gently in different ways. Underline the clue words that show which meaning is being used. Example: The nurse spoke gently to the worried child. Clue words: nurse, spoke, worried. Ask: Which meaning of gently does my sentence show?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to compare meanings of gently in this model sentence: "The nurse spoke gently to the worried child." Which meaning fits, and what context clues prove it?
Learning activities
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