Gently has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
Adverb
Adverb
1
in a gradual manner
"a gently sloping terrain"
2
in a gentle manner
"he talked gently to the injured animal"
3
with little weight or force
"she kissed him lightly on the forehead"
4
in a gentle manner
"She gently stroked the cat's fur to calm it down."
Example Sentences
"a gently sloping terrain"
adverb
"he talked gently to the injured animal"
adverb
"she kissed him lightly on the forehead"
adverb
Origin
The word gently comes from Middle English and is formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to "gentle." It entered modern usage as a simple adverb indicating a manner that is kind or mild.