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definitions

unkind

[ uhn-kahynd ]
/ ʌnˈkaɪnd /
|
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adjective, un·kind·er, un·kind·est.

lacking in kindness or mercy; severe.

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RELATED WORDS

insensitive, harsh, malicious, spiteful, unfriendly, cruel, hateful, nasty, uncaring, barbarous, brutal, cold-blooded, heartless, inconsiderate, inhuman, malevolent, malignant, mean, sadistic, savage

Nearby words

  1. unkelos,
  2. unkempt,
  3. unkenned,
  4. unkennel,
  5. unkept,
  6. unkindest cut,
  7. unkindly,
  8. unknightly,
  9. unknit,
  10. unknot

Origin of unkind

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at un-1, kind1
Related formsun·kind·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unkind

British Dictionary definitions for unkind

unkind

/ (ʌnˈkaɪnd) /

adjective

lacking kindness; unsympathetic or cruel
archaic, or dialect
  1. (of weather) unpleasant
  2. (of soil) hard to cultivate
Derived Formsunkindly, adverbunkindness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unkind

unkind

adj.

early 13c. (implied in unkindly), "strange, foreign, unnatural," from un- (1) "not" + kind (adj.). Meaning "lacking in kindness" is recorded from mid-14c. Related: Unkindly; unkindness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper