unkind
Americanadjective
adjective
-
lacking kindness; unsympathetic or cruel
-
archaic
-
(of weather) unpleasant
-
(of soil) hard to cultivate
-
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unkind
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at un- 1, kind 1
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.
Some of the online judgment may seem unkind, but in today’s market, the criticism may be valid.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
But no one here is out to humiliate anyone, which is nasty and unkind and not at all the sort of humor Lawrence trades in.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026
He also shares a desire to cultivate more patience and to become more willing to challenge unkind behavior.
From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2025
You can find cruel, judgmental and unkind people everywhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
My mother wasn't being unkind; she was being protective.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.
