kindness
Americannoun
-
the state or quality of being kind.
kindness to animals.
- Synonyms:
- tenderness, compassion, sympathy, charity, generosity, humanity, benevolence, benignity
- Antonyms:
- malevolence
-
a kind act; favor.
his many kindnesses to me.
-
kind behavior.
I will never forget your kindness.
- Synonyms:
- tenderness, compassion, sympathy, charity, generosity, humanity, benevolence, benignity
- Antonyms:
- cruelty
-
friendly feeling; liking.
noun
-
the practice or quality of being kind
-
a kind, considerate, or helpful act
Other Word Forms
- self-kindness noun
Etymology
Origin of kindness
First recorded in 1250–1300, kindness is from the Middle English word kindenes. See kind 1, -ness
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 loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you’ll see,” Guthrie said through tears.
From Los Angeles Times
“She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you’ll see.”
From Los Angeles Times
Three things never failed to shock the social worker: people’s capacity for cruelty, their capacity for kindness, and their capacity for change.
From Literature
And if it really was Mami Wata, then I was glad to have repaid in some small measure the kindness she had shown to generations of my family.
From Literature
"But as Tolkien wrote, it's the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love," he said.
From Barron's
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.
