Lenient — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈlē-nē-ənt/ le·nient

Meaning & Definition of Lenient

Lenient (adjective)

  1. of mild and tolerant disposition or effect, not harsh, severe, or strict
  2. exerting a soothing or easing influence, relieving pain or stress

Lenient (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. allowing a lot of freedom and not punishing bad behavior in a strong way

    "a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved"

    "The public was outraged by the lenient sentence the corrupt banker received."

    similar: clement, forbearing, forgiving, merciful, soft, beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, kindly, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warmhearted, attentive, considerate, solicitous, thoughtful, affable, amicable, benign, companionable, comradely, cordial, friendly, genial, gentle, good, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, mild, neighborly, nice, pleasant, sweet, warm, patient, pitying, tolerant, understanding, altruistic, brotherly, charitable, freehanded, generous, greathearted, humanitarian, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, noble, openhearted, philanthropic, selfless, unselfish, unsparing, anticruelty, cruelty-free
    opposite: grim, harsh, heavy-handed, severe, stern, strict, tough, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, inconsiderate, insensitive, thoughtless, uncaring, unthinking, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, virulent, antihumanitarian, uncharitable, atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, bestial, brutal, brute, brutish, callous, cold-blooded, cruel, fiendish, hard-hearted, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, sadistic, savage, truculent, uncompassionate, unfeeling, unkind, unkindly, unsympathetic, vicious, wanton

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Lenient

The most common words with a similar meaning to Lenient:

clement, forbearing, forgiving, merciful, soft, beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, kindly, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warmhearted, attentive, considerate, solicitous, thoughtful, affable, amicable, benign, companionable, comradely, cordial, friendly, genial, gentle, good, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, mild, neighborly, nice, pleasant

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Lenient

Words with the opposite meaning of Lenient:

grim, harsh, heavy-handed, severe, stern, strict, tough, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, inconsiderate, insensitive, thoughtless, uncaring, unthinking, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, virulent, antihumanitarian, uncharitable, atrocious, barbaric

Word Forms of Lenient

Derived words: leniently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Lenient

Latin lenient-, leniens, present participle of lenire to soften, soothe, from lenis soft, mild; probably akin to Lithuanian lėnas tranquil let:1

First known use: 1652

Frequently Asked Questions about Lenient

What does "Lenient" mean?

"Lenient" means of mild and tolerant disposition or effect, not harsh, severe, or strict. As an adjective, it is defined as: of mild and tolerant disposition or effect, not harsh, severe, or strict.

What is another word for "Lenient"?

Other words for "Lenient" include clement, forbearing, forgiving, merciful, soft, beneficent, benevolent and benignant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Lenient" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Lenient"?

There are 64 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Lenient". Common alternatives include clement, forbearing, forgiving, merciful, soft, beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate and good-hearted.

What is the opposite of "Lenient"?

Antonyms of "Lenient" include grim, harsh, heavy-handed, severe, stern, strict, tough and ironhearted.

How do you use "Lenient" in a sentence?

Examples of "Lenient" in a sentence: "a teacher who is lenient with students who have misbehaved"; "The public was outraged by the lenient sentence the corrupt banker received.".

Is "Lenient" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Lenient" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Lenient"?

"Lenient" is pronounced /ˈlē-nē-ənt/ and divided into syllables as le·nient.

What is the origin of the word "Lenient"?

"Lenient" comes from Latin lenient-, leniens, present participle of lenire to soften, soothe, from lenis soft, mild; probably akin to Lithuanian lėnas tranquil let:1. First known use: 1652.