What is the antonym of โgentlesโ?
The antonyms of gentle are agitate, provoke, and irritate. The antonyms agitate, provoke, and irritate convey a sense of disturbance, annoyance, or agitation. It implies a lack of calmness, patience, or kindness.
Brief Definitions of the Antonym(s)
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
To disturb or excite someone's feelings or emotions; to cause unrest or turmoil.
Example
The loud music from the party next door started to agitate the neighbors.
To deliberately annoy or anger someone; to incite or stimulate a reaction.
Example
His rude comments were enough to provoke her into a heated argument.
To cause annoyance or frustration; to make someone feel impatient or uncomfortable.
Example
The constant buzzing of the fly was starting to irritate him.
How are these antonyms different from each other?
- 1Agitate implies a sense of restlessness or unease, often caused by external factors.
- 2Provoke suggests an intentional act of causing annoyance or anger.
- 3Irritate conveys a sense of mild annoyance or discomfort, often caused by repetitive actions or sounds.
Good things to know
- 1Enhance Communication: Use agitate, provoke, and irritate to express feelings of disturbance or annoyance effectively.
- 2Show Empathy: Incorporate antonyms in conversations to demonstrate understanding of others' emotions.
- 3Enrich Storytelling: Utilize these antonyms in narratives to create tension and conflict in characters and plot.