English Explanatory Dictionary

kindly

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having a kind personality; kind, warmhearted, sympathetic.
  2. Favourable, gentle, pleasant, tidy, auspicious, beneficent.
  3. Lawful.
  4. Natural; inherent to the kind or race.
adv
  1. In a kind manner, out of kindness.
  2. In a favourable way.
  3. Used to make a polite request: please.
  4. With kind acceptance; used with take.
  5. Kind of, somewhat.
  6. Readily.
  7. Naturally.

Pronunciation

/ˈkaɪn(d)li/ En-us-kindly.ogg

Word forms

kindly kindlier kindliest more kindly most kindly

Etymology

From Middle English kyndely, kyndeliche, from Old English cyndelīċ (“natural, kindly”); equivalent to kind + -ly.

Synonyms

compassionate benignant good-hearted kind kindhearted humane softhearted sympathetic tender tenderhearted warmhearted attentive considerate thoughtful affable benign cordial dear friendly gentle good good-natured good-tempered gracious mild nice pleasant clement forbearing forgiving lenient merciful soft patient pitying tolerant understanding altruistic brotherly generous charitable greathearted humanitarian magnanimous noble openhearted philanthropic unselfish unsparing thoughtfully be so kind as to please

Antonyms

mean stern hateful malevolent malicious spiteful virulent barbarous bestial brutal brutish cold-blooded cruel hardhearted inhuman inhumane insensate savage thick-skinned

Derived words

kindlily kindliness kindly tenant overkindly seakindly sea-kindly unkindly take kindly
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