† 1. Of persons, their birth, family, etc.: Not gentle or belonging to a family of position; not distinguished by birth. Also absol. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. pr. iv. (1868), 41. Som man haþ grete rycchesse, but he is ashamed of hys vngentil lynage.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 415. [He] putte adoun meny gentil men, and putte ungentil men in here stede.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 365/1. On-gentylle of kynne, ignobilis, degener. Ibid., 365/2. On-gentyl be fadyr, and moder, ybridus.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, Her., A j. How gentilmen shall be knowyn from vngentill men.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), H viij. But for all he was not called vngentyll, nor infamed, nor traytour.
1594. R. Ashley, trans. Loys le Roy, 56 b. Of noble, and vnnoble, of gentlemen, and vngentle.
1648. Heylin, Relat. & Observ., I. 23. Gentle or ungentle, I write to all.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 68/2. The Ungentle is bound … to keep silence whilst a Gentleman speaks.
2. Of persons: Not possessing the attributes or characteristics of good birth; unchivalrous; discourteous, unmannerly. Now somewhat arch.
1411–2. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 3300. He dredde hym … The peple hym wolde han for a proude man deemed, And vngentil.
c. 1450. Capgrave, Life St. Aug., 44. I aspied wel þat I must chere men þat cam on-to me with mete and drynk, for if I ded not, I schuld be hald on-gentil.
1562. Legh, Armory, Pref. ¶ iv. The second sort are vngentile gentlemen.
1593. Marlowe, Edw. II., IV. ii. Sith the vngentle king Of Fraunce refuseth to giue aide of armes To this distressed Queene his sister heere.
1653. J. Taylor (Water P.), Short Relat. Long Journ. (1859), 22. Quoth I, I doubt I must bee necessitated to take up my lodging in the field: to which the said ungentle gentlewoman … gave me a finall answer, that I might if I would.
1688. Shadwell, Sqr. Alsatia, II. Belfond, thou art the most ungentle Knight alive.
1829. Cunningham, Brit. Paint., I. 344. They aided him in the resolution … of making his escape from such crushing patronage and ungentle company.
1872. Tennyson, Gareth & Lynette, 738. Too well I know thee, ay—The most ungentle knight in Arthur’s hall.
transf. 1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. xxxvii. (Tollem. M5.). The lapwynke is ungentel [1535 most filthy] and unclene.
b. absol. and as sb.
1562. Legh, Armory, Pref. ¶ iij b. I beseche your honours, to dayne to be patrones of this my woorke, against the middle finger poyntinges of the vngentiles. Ibid. The first wherof are gentel vngentile.
c. Not appropriate to or befitting one of gentle birth or breeding.
1565. Jewel, Reply Harding (1611), 160. This seemeth to be a very simple argument, and a grosse vngentle opinion of the simplicity of the people.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. i. 67. For nothing would she lenger there be stayd, Where so loose life, and so vngentle trade Was vsd of Knights and Ladies seeming gent.
1642. Milton, Apol. Smect., Wks. 1851, III. 270. Whereof not to be sensible,… argues both a grosse and shallow judgement, and withall an ungentle, and swainish breast.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., x. According to the rules of woodcraft, he held it ungentle to interfere with the game attacked by another hunter.
1861. Meredith, Evan Harrington, xxx. They had seen her ungentle training in a dozen little instances.
3. Not gentle in action; rough, harsh, unkind, violent: a. Of persons or disposition.
1509. Fisher, Funeral Serm. C’tess Richmond, Wks. (1876), 307. Were not she an vnkinde and vngentyl moder?
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., III. 202. The iudge that threatneth that he wil be vnappeasable to them that be to rigorous and ungentle.
1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., II. 1835. To travell farre, and finde Those prove ungentle, whom you hoped, kinde.
1693. Dryden, Ovid’s Met., I. 876. Her Head to her ungentle Keeper bow’d, She strove to speak.
1763. G. Colman, Posth. Lett. (1820), 256. Pray hint this to him, but let him not be ungentle with Sterne.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. in America, III. 117. Men are ungentle, tyrannical.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 47. His temper, naturally ungentle, had been exasperated by his domestic vexations.
1872. Calverley, Fly Leaves (1903), 7. She had gone from the ken of ungentle men!
b. fig. Of things.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia, I. (1895), 62. Moyses lawe, thoughe it were vngentle and sharpe,… punnyshed thefte by the purse, and not wyth deathe.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., V. i. 13. You haue … made vs doffe our easie Robes of Peace, To crush our old limbes in vngentle Steele.
a. 1649. Crashaw, Carmen Deo Nostro, Mary Magd., xxvii. Such Teares the suffring Rose that’s vext With ungentle flames does shed.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., I. xxiii. Vain are the pleasaunces on earth supplied; Swept into wrecks anon by Time’s ungentle tide!
c. Of actions, language, etc.
1603. Dekker & Chettle, Grissil, 2022. Why must my babes beare this vngentle doome?
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., Disc. iii. § 15. When two seas meet, the billows contest in ungentle embraces.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XVII. 548. His shoulderblade receiv’d th’ ungentle shock.
1779. Mirror, No. 43, ¶ 2. Every better feeling, warm and vivid; every ungentle one, repressed or overcome.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc. (1873), 180. Jesus in His babes abiding Shames our cold ungentle ways.
1890. Doyle, White Company, xxviii. Taken aback at this ungentle speech,… Alleyne stood [etc.].
