gütiger

Gütiger is the comparative form of the German adjective gütig, meaning benevolent, kind, or gracious. It is used to compare degrees of kindness between people, actions, or entities. For example: “Sie ist gütiger als er” translates to “She is more benevolent than he is.” The corresponding superlative forms are “am gütigsten” or “der gütigste,” depending on whether the phrase is predicative or attributive.

Etymology and form: gütig derives from the broader Germanic family of words related to gut, meaning good. The adjective is declined according to standard German rules; gütiger is the comparative, while the superlative can appear as der gütigste (attributive) or am gütigsten (predicative or with no determiner). Orthography features the umlaut ü in gütig and gütiger.

Usage: In modern German, gütig and its forms appear most often in formal, literary, or religious contexts. They are less common in everyday speech, where synonyms such as freundlich or wohlwollend may be preferred. The phrase Gütiger Gott, found in prayers and hymns, is a well-known liturgical usage illustrating the epithet as an addressing adjective meaning “Merciful God.”

Notes: Like other -ig adjectives, gütig participates in regular adjective declension and can function as a predicate adjective (Er ist gütiger geworden) or as an attributive modifier (ein gütiger Mensch). Its usage conveys a sense of benevolence that extends beyond simple friendliness to a gracious, kindly disposition.