unkindly
Americanadjective
-
not kindly; unkind; ill-natured.
-
inclement or bleak, as weather or climate.
-
unfavorable for crops.
unkindly soil.
adverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unkindly
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at un- 1, kindly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She pointed out, not unkindly, that working alone is the arrangement I chose six years ago.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
Her inflated self-esteem is a force of nature never wielded unkindly, unless provoked.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026
Tabloids and magazines regularly reported on the state of the relationship, often unkindly.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
As a reader might gather, “Neighbors” falls into the category of what is unkindly categorized as freak-show documentary—the characters are objects of morbid curiosity or, maybe, pathos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
One of the hikers looked at him in a not unkindly way.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
