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.
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
History books—the serious ones, the sorts of histories that they might read from time to time—will treat them very unkindly.
From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2023
"I was just looking up 30-foot camera tracks, and they do exist," she replies - not unkindly, but with enough force to make her point clear.
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2023
Arthur said: "After all, Galahad is only a child! He has growing pains, perhaps. I don’t think we ought to judge him unkindly for little faults of social intercourse."
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
