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.

Baseball is fleeting, a bit of good-hearted nationalism doubly so.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

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

“He’s a generous, outgoing, good-hearted human being who is completely misrepresented.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025

“How very pleasing and proper of him!” cried the good-hearted Mrs. John Knightley.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

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