Synonyms

good-hearted

American

[good-hahr-tid] / ˈgʊdˈhɑr tɪd /

Or goodhearted

adjective

kind or generous; considerate; benevolent.

Other Word Forms

good-heartedly adverb
good-heartedness noun
goodheartedly adverb
goodheartedness noun

Etymology

Origin of good-hearted

First recorded in 1545–55

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.

Samantha’s father hires Nana away from her grimy pub-cleaning job to answer the phone at his taxi service: a good-hearted gesture or a bribe to keep her and Janey quiet?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Peggy Jo Tallas was, by all accounts, the classic good-hearted Texas woman.

From Slate • Nov. 15, 2025

While that was quickly cancelled, Warner came to be associated with stable, good-hearted guys whose lives are more together than those of their friends.

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2025

Paying tribute to his "talent and humanity", Murphy's friend and agent Thomas Bowington described him as a "joyful and profoundly good-hearted man".

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2025

A nice kid, too, polite and good-hearted, although for the moment none of it seemed to be serving him well.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023