What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Gentle vs Holy - What's the difference?

gentle | holy |

As adjectives the difference between gentle and holy

is that gentle is tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition while holy is naked.

As a verb gentle

is to become gentle.

As a noun gentle

is (archaic) a person of high birth.

gentle

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
  • Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=3 citation , passage=Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.}}
  • Docile and easily managed.
    • a gentle horse
  • Gradual rather than steep or sudden.
  • Polite and respectful rather than rude.
  • (archaic) Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.
  • * Johnson's Cyc.
    • British society is divided into nobility, gentry, and yeomanry, and families are either noble, gentle , or simple.
  • * Milton
    • the studies wherein our noble and gentle youth ought to bestow their time

    Synonyms

    * (polite) friendly, kind, polite, respectful

    Antonyms

    * (polite) rude

    Derived terms

    * gentle craft * gentleness * gentleman * gentlewoman * gently

    Verb

    (gentl)
  • to become gentle (rfex)
  • to ennoble (rfex)
  • (animal husbandry) to break; to tame; to domesticate (rfex)
  • To soothe; to calm. (rfex)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) A person of high birth.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Gentles , methinks you frown.
  • (archaic) A maggot used as bait by anglers (rfex)
  • A trained falcon, or falcon-gentil.

    • holy

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
    • I'm planning to visit the holy city of Mecca this Ramadan.
  • Revered in a religion.
  • Perfect or flawless.
  • Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
  • Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
  • (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
    • Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

    Synonyms

    * (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god) sacred * (revered in a religion) sacred * faultless, flawless, perfect * (separated or set apart from something) sanctified * (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose) reserved, special

    Antonyms

    * (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god) * (revered in a religion) profane, secular, unholy, worldly * damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect * (separated or set apart from something) * (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose) common

    Derived terms

    * holiest of holies * holiness * holy cats * holy cow * holy crap * Holy Ghost * Holy Grail * Holy of Holies * holy mackerel * holy moly, holy moley * holy Moses * holy mother of God * Holy See * holy shit * holy smoke * holy snakes * Holy Spirit * holy Toledo * Holy Trinity * holy war * holy water * Holy Week

    Noun

    (holies)
  • (archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in (Holy of Holies).
  • * Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art (1882) p. 146:
    • The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.

    Derived terms

    * holiest of holies * Holy of Holies