belonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an animal or organ or part; "the dorsal fin is the vertical fin on the back of a fish and certain marine mammals"
bearing a stress or accent; "an iambic foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable as in `delay'"
suffering severe physical strain or distress; "he dropped out of the race, clearly distressed and having difficulty breathing"; "the victim was in a bad way and needed immediate attention"
articulate (a consonant) with the tongue curled back against the palate; "Indian accents can be characterized by the fact that speakers retroflex their consonants"
thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation; "became panicky as the snow deepened"; "felt panicked before each exam"; "trying to keep back the panic-stricken crowd"; "the terrified horse bolted"
having or showing a kindly or tender nature; "the gentle touch of her hand"; "her gentle manner was comforting"; "a gentle sensitive nature"; "gentle blue eyes"
quiet and soothing; "a gentle voice"; "a gentle nocturne"
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe; "a gentle reprimand"; "a vein of gentle irony"; "poked gentle fun at him"