unkindly
Americanadjective
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not kindly; unkind; ill-natured.
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inclement or bleak, as weather or climate.
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unfavorable for crops.
unkindly soil.
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unkindly
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at un- 1, kindly
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 pointed out, not unkindly, that working alone is the arrangement I chose six years ago.
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2026
Her inflated self-esteem is a force of nature never wielded unkindly, unless provoked.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
As a reader might gather, “Neighbors” falls into the category of what is unkindly categorized as freak-show documentary—the characters are objects of morbid curiosity or, maybe, pathos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
The two contenders to be the next prime minister, unkindly branded "dull and duller" by one of their rivals, do not have the obvious instinct to breed deliberate controversy, to break the rules.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2023
“We held off the war band,” Fflewddur said, “until we were sure you were well away. Some of them should have occasion to think unkindly of us for a while to come.”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
