gentle giant
A person or animal of a great size or strength, yet who is of a friendly nature and not aggressive or threatening.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My big dog is a gentle giant.”
“That huge horse is a gentle giant and never kicks anyone.”
“You are a gentle giant when you play carefully with your toddler.”
“Even though he looks intimidating, the new security guard is a gentle giant who loves helping people.”
“The heavy-weight boxer proved to be a gentle giant when he spent his afternoon reading stories to children at the local library.”
“Divers often describe the whale shark as a gentle giant because it swims peacefully alongside humans despite its massive size.”
“Despite his imposing stature and history as a champion wrestler, he remained a gentle giant who treated everyone with quiet kindness.”
first recorded 19th c.
Compound of *gentle* and *giant*, first appearing in English c. 1807 within a translated work. The term entered the lexicon as a descriptor for large-statured individuals of a mild or kindly disposition, pairing a noun of immense physical scale with an adjective of temperamental restraint.
- 01
dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants
One who discovers by building on previous discoveries.
- 02
gentle as a lamb
Very caring and calm.
- 03
gentle sex
Women generally.
- 04
mistake windmills for giants
To perceive ordinary, nonthreatening objects or situations as significant dangers or adversaries, often due to an overly romantic, idealistic, or deluded worldview.
- 05
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind
(used imitatively) A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone.
- 06
sleeping giant
Someone or something with great, latent strength.
- 07
stand on the shoulders of giants
To build on the achievements of others before one.
Last updated August 10, 2026