gently

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   In a soft, careful, and kind way.

   She gently rocked the baby to sleep.

2. 2
   adv

   With little force or weight; lightly.

   Press gently on the bruise to check if it still hurts.

3. 3
   adv

   In a gradual way, not steeply or suddenly.

   The path rises gently toward the top of the hill.

From Middle English gentilly, gentlych, gentilliche, equivalent to gentle + -ly, with *-lely simplified to -ly by haplology.

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