Kindness is the quality of being gentle, caring, and helpful.
We have been treated with such kindness by everybody.
Synonyms: goodwill, understanding, charity, grace More Synonyms of kindness
2. countable noun
A kindness is a helpful or considerate act.
More Synonyms of kindness
kindness in British English
(ˈkaɪndnɪs)
noun
1.
the practice or quality of being kind
2.
a kind, considerate, or helpful act
kindness in American English
(ˈkaɪndnɪs)
noun
1.
the state, quality, or habit of being kind
2.
a kind act or kindly treatment
3. Archaic
kind feeling; affection; goodwill
Word origin
ME kyndeness
More idioms containing
kindness
kill someone with kindness
COBUILD Collocations
kindness
repay kindness
Examples of 'kindness' in a sentence
kindness
For a quality that is thought to be so central to the human condition, kindness is poorly understood.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He was vulnerable, easily led and prone to rage, but also capable of gentle kindness and love.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The best are a source of great wisdom and kindness.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We entered our relationship with love and it is with love and kindness we leave it.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It became one of my favourite books in terms of its kindness and understanding of human frailty.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There was not much kindness or respect in our marriage.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
What is always so striking in the face of sheer evil is the outpouring of human kindness.
The Sun (2014)
Please accept again my profound gratitude for your great kindness to me.
Hebblethwaite, Peter Paul VI - The First Modern Pope (1993)
Thank you for your love and kindness to me.
The Sun (2015)
The kindness was too much for the poor epileptic creature.
William Thackeray Vanity Fair (1837)
There were inspiring examples of heroism and human kindness.
The Sun (2011)
But he does so with great kindness and warmth and wit.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She must not presume upon his kindness and make much of her prosaic troubles.
Frances Hodgson Burnett Emily Fox-Seton (1901)
Lots of people tried to help but he was beyond the reach of human kindness.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Love issues in patience, kindness and goodness.
Christianity Today (2000)
I thank my family and friends for the kindness and understanding that they have shown me.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Quotations
Kindness acts Not always as you think; a hated hand Renders it odiousCorneilleCinna
Kindness effects more than severityAesopFables: The Wind and the Sun
True kindness presupposes the faculty of imagining as one's own the suffering and joys of othersAndré GidePortraits and Aphorisms
That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts Of kindness and of loveWilliam WordsworthLines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest wayWilliam ShakespeareMacbeth
In other languages
kindness
British English: kindness /ˈkaɪndnɪs/ NOUN
Kindness is the quality of being gentle, caring, and helpful.
We have been treated with such kindness by everybody.
American English: kindness
Arabic: لَطِيفٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: gentileza
Chinese: 好意
Croatian: dobrota
Czech: laskavost
Danish: venlighed
Dutch: vriendelijkheid
European Spanish: amabilidad
Finnish: ystävällisyys
French: gentillesse
German: Liebenswürdigkeit
Greek: καλοσύνη
Italian: cortesia
Japanese: 親切
Korean: 친절
Norwegian: vennlighet
Polish: uprzejmość
European Portuguese: gentileza
Romanian: bunătate
Russian: доброта
Latin American Spanish: amabilidad
Swedish: vänlighet
Thai: ความเมตตากรุณา
Turkish: iyi yüreklilik
Ukrainian: доброта
Vietnamese: sự tử tế
Chinese translation of 'kindness'
kindness
(ˈkaɪndnɪs)
n
(u) (= quality) 仁慈 (réncí)
(c) (= act) 友好的行为(為) (yǒuhǎo de xíngwéi) (种(種), zhǒng)
1 (noun)
Definition
the quality of being kind
We have been treated with such kindness by everybody.
Synonyms
goodwill
understanding
We would like to thank them for their patience and understanding.
charity
He had no sense of right and wrong, no charity, no humanity.
grace
It was only by the grace of God that no one died.
humanity
The speech showed great humility and humanity.
affection
She thought of him with affection.
patience
tolerance
his tolerance and understanding of diverse human nature
goodness
performing actions of goodness towards the poor
compassion
They preach universal kindness and compassion.
hospitality
generosity
her moral decency and generosity of spirit
indulgence
decency
tenderness
She smiled, politely, rather than with tenderness.
clemency
The prisoners' pleas for clemency were turned down.
gentleness
the gentleness with which she treated her pregnant mother
philanthropy
a retired banker well known for his philanthropy
benevolence
A bit of benevolence from people in power is not what we need.
magnanimity
We will have to show magnanimity in victory.
fellow-feeling
amiability
beneficence
kindliness
His kindliness and warmth made him particularly effective with staff welfare.
generosity
her moral decency and generosity of spirit
Opposites
cruelty
,
malice
,
animosity
,
inhumanity
,
ill will
,
callousness
,
viciousness
,
malevolence
,
misanthropy
,
heartlessness
,
hard-heartedness
, cold-heartedness
2 (noun)
Definition
a kind or helpful act
It would be a kindness to leave her alone.
Synonyms
good deed
help
Thanks very much for your help.
service
aid
He was forced to turn to his former enemy for aid.
favour
I've come to ask for a favour.
assistance
He's been operating the shop with the assistance of volunteers.
bounty
The aid organization would not allow such bounty.
benefaction
Quotations
Kindness acts Not always as you think; a hated hand Renders it odious [Corneille – Cinna]Kindness effects more than severity [Aesop – Fables: The Wind and the Sun]True kindness presupposes the faculty of imagining as one's own the suffering and joys of others [André Gide – Portraits and Aphorisms]That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts Of kindness and of love [William Wordsworth – Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey]Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way [William Shakespeare – Macbeth]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affection
Definition
fondness or tenderness for a person or thing
She thought of him with affection.
Synonyms
fondness,
liking,
feeling,
love,
care,
desire,
passion,
warmth,
attachment,
goodwill,
devotion,
kindness,
inclination,
tenderness,
propensity,
friendliness,
amity (formal),
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of aid
Definition
money, equipment, or services provided for people in need
He was forced to turn to his former enemy for aid.
Synonyms
help,
backing,
support,
benefit,
favour,
relief,
promotion,
assistance,
encouragement,
helping hand,
succour
in the sense of assistance
Definition
help or support
He's been operating the shop with the assistance of volunteers.
Synonyms
help,
backing,
service,
support,
benefit,
aid,
relief,
boost,
promotion,
cooperation,
encouragement,
collaboration,
reinforcement,
helping hand,
sustenance,
succour,
furtherance,
abetment
Synonyms of 'kindness'
kindness
Explore 'kindness' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of beneficence
Synonyms
generosity,
love,
virtue,
goodness,
goodwill,
compassion,
kindness,
altruism,
benevolence,
helpfulness,
unselfishness,
liberality,
largesse or largess
in the sense of benevolence
Definition
inclination to do good
A bit of benevolence from people in power is not what we need.
Synonyms
kindness,
understanding,
charity,
grace,
sympathy,
humanity,
tolerance,
goodness,
goodwill,
compassion,
generosity,
indulgence,
decency,
altruism,
clemency,
gentleness,
philanthropy,
magnanimity,
fellow feeling,
beneficence,
kindliness,
kind-heartedness,
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of bounty
Definition
generosity
The aid organization would not allow such bounty.
Synonyms
generosity,
charity,
assistance,
kindness,
philanthropy,
benevolence,
beneficence,
liberality,
almsgiving,
open-handedness,
largesse or largess
in the sense of charity
Definition
a kindly attitude towards people
He had no sense of right and wrong, no charity, no humanity.
Synonyms
kindness,
love,
pity,
humanity,
affection,
goodness,
goodwill,
compassion,
generosity,
indulgence,
bounty,
altruism,
benevolence,
Agape,
fellow feeling,
benignity,
bountifulness,
tenderheartedness,
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of clemency
Definition
mercy
The prisoners' pleas for clemency were turned down.
Synonyms
mercy,
pity,
humanity,
compassion,
kindness,
forgiveness,
indulgence,
leniency,
forbearance,
quarter,
mercifulness
in the sense of compassion
Definition
a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another
They preach universal kindness and compassion.
Synonyms
sympathy,
understanding,
charity,
pity,
humanity,
ruth (archaic),
mercy,
heart,
quarter,
sorrow,
kindness,
tenderness,
condolence,
clemency,
commiseration,
fellow feeling,
soft-heartedness,
tender-heartedness,
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of favour
Definition
an act done out of goodwill or generosity
I've come to ask for a favour.
Synonyms
good turn,
service,
benefit,
courtesy,
kindness,
indulgence,
boon (archaic),
good deed,
kind act,
obligement (Scottish, archaic)
in the sense of generosity
her moral decency and generosity of spirit
Synonyms
magnanimity,
goodness,
kindness,
benevolence,
selflessness,
charity,
unselfishness,
high-mindedness,
nobleness
in the sense of generosity
her moral decency and generosity of spirit
Synonyms
magnanimity,
goodness,
kindness,
benevolence,
selflessness,
charity,
unselfishness,
high-mindedness,
nobleness
in the sense of gentleness
the gentleness with which she treated her pregnant mother
Synonyms
tenderness,
compassion,
kindness,
consideration,
sympathy,
sweetness,
softness,
mildness,
kindliness,
mansuetude (archaic)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of goodness
Definition
the quality of being good
performing actions of goodness towards the poor
Synonyms
kindness,
charity,
humanity,
goodwill,
mercy,
compassion,
generosity,
friendliness,
benevolence,
graciousness,
beneficence,
kindliness,
humaneness,
kind-heartedness,
obligingness
in the sense of grace
Definition
the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards humankind
It was only by the grace of God that no one died.
Synonyms
benevolence,
favour,
goodness,
goodwill,
generosity,
kindness,
beneficence,
kindliness,
benefaction
in the sense of help
Definition
the act of helping
Thanks very much for your help.
Synonyms
assistance,
aid,
support,
service,
advice,
promotion,
guidance,
cooperation,
helping hand
in the sense of humanity
Definition
kindness or mercy
The speech showed great humility and humanity.
Synonyms
kindness,
charity,
compassion,
understanding,
sympathy,
mercy,
tolerance,
tenderness,
philanthropy,
benevolence,
fellow feeling,
benignity,
brotherly love,
kind-heartedness
in the sense of kindliness
His kindliness and warmth made him particularly effective with staff welfare.
Synonyms
kindness,
charity,
sympathy,
humanity,
compassion,
friendliness,
gentleness,
benevolence,
amiability,
beneficence,
benignity,
kind-heartedness
in the sense of magnanimity
We will have to show magnanimity in victory.
Synonyms
generosity,
nobility,
benevolence,
selflessness,
unselfishness,
munificence,
beneficence,
high-mindedness,
big-heartedness,
charitableness,
bountifulness,
open-handedness,
largesse or largess
in the sense of philanthropy
Definition
the practice of helping people less well-off than oneself
a retired banker well known for his philanthropy
Synonyms
humanitarianism,
charity,
generosity,
patronage,
bounty,
altruism,
benevolence,
munificence,
beneficence,
liberality,
public-spiritedness,
benignity,
almsgiving,
brotherly love,
charitableness,
kind-heartedness,
generousness,
open-handedness,
largesse or largess
in the sense of tenderness
She smiled, politely, rather than with tenderness.
Synonyms
gentleness,
love,
affection,
liking,
care,
consideration,
sympathy,
pity,
humanity,
warmth,
mercy,
attachment,
compassion,
devotion,
kindness,
fondness,
sentimentality,
benevolence,
humaneness,
amorousness,
warm-heartedness,
softheartedness,
tenderheartedness
in the sense of tolerance
Definition
the quality of accepting other people's rights to their own opinions, beliefs, or actions
his tolerance and understanding of diverse human nature
Synonyms
broad-mindedness,
charity,
sympathy,
patience,
indulgence,
forbearance,
permissiveness,
magnanimity,
open-mindedness,
sufferance,
lenity
in the sense of understanding
We would like to thank them for their patience and understanding.