kindly
Americanadjective
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having, showing, or proceeding from a benevolent disposition or spirit; kindhearted.
kindly people.
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gentle or mild, as rule or laws.
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pleasant, agreeable, or benign.
kindly climate.
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favorable, as soil for crops.
adjective
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having a sympathetic or warm-hearted nature
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motivated by warm and sympathetic feelings
a kindly act
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pleasant, mild, or agreeable
a kindly climate
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archaic natural; normal
adverb
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in a considerate or humane way
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with tolerance or forbearance
he kindly forgave my rudeness
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cordially; pleasantly
he greeted us kindly
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please (often used to express impatience or formality)
will you kindly behave yourself!
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archaic in accordance with nature; appropriately
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to react unfavourably towards
Related Words
See kind 1.
Other Word Forms
- kindliness noun
Etymology
Origin of kindly
First recorded before 900; Middle English kyndly (adjective and adverb), Old English gecyndelīc “natural,” gecyndelīce “naturally”; kind 1, -ly
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.
Even so, Lehto noted that workers may not take kindly to a competitor’s car being parked in a spot earmarked for a company vehicle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
"Customers are kindly requested to contact their local MSC office for details of the designated port and to confirm recovery or onward transport instructions," it said.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
Your resistance can include maintaining your silence or speaking plainly, if kindly.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026
Asked if he was keen to speak, the Egypt striker kindly declined and smiled as he made his way through the mixed zone and on to the team bus.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
She nodded for longer than you’d think, looking at me kindly?
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
