Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of a sympathetic, helpful, or benevolent nature: synonym: kind.
- adjective Agreeable; pleasant.
- adjective Archaic Of or relating to a status derived by legal descent from an ancestor.
- adjective Obsolete Natural to its kind.
- adverb Out of kindness.
- adverb In a kind manner.
- adverb Pleasantly; agreeably.
- adverb In an accommodating manner.
- adverb Obsolete In a way or course that is natural; fittingly.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or pertaining to kind, nature, or origin.
- Of a suitable nature or quality; fit; proper.
- Consonant in kind; appropriate; agreeable.
- Native; pertaining to nativity; indigenous. Sen kindly tenant, below.
- Naturally inherent; inborn; innate.
- Of legitimate birth; lawfully begotten.
- Naturally inclined to good; sympathetic; benevolent: as, a kindly old gentleman; a kindly disposition; also, benignant; gracious.
- Soft; agreeable; refreshing; favorable; beneficial: as, kindly showers.
- In a natural or native manner
- By heart; thoroughly.
- By nativity; as regards nature or origin.
- Congenially; readily; spontaneously; with aptitude.
- In a kind manner; with sympathetic tenderness, consideration, or good will.
- Lovingly; affectionately; tenderly.
- Propitiously; auspiciously; favorably.
- As an act of kindness; as a compliment or favor; good-naturedly: in the phrase to take (something) kindly.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective rare According to the kind or nature; natural.
- adjective Humane; congenial; sympathetic; hence, disposed to do good to; benevolent; gracious; kind; helpful
- adjective Favorable; mild; gentle; auspicious; beneficent.
- adverb obsolete Naturally; fitly.
- adverb In a kind manner; congenially; with good will; with a disposition to make others happy, or to oblige.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Having a
kind personality. - adverb In a
kind manner, out ofkindness . - adverb in a
favourable way. - adverb US
Please ; used to make a polite request. - adverb US With kind acceptance; used with
take .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb in a kind manner or out of kindness
- adjective pleasant and agreeable
- adjective showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Contempt, dislike, kindly disdain -- he was always _kindly_ -- he made quite a point of _that_.
April's Lady A Novel Margaret Wolfe Hungerford
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Each afternoon, he turned away from the Pentecostal preacher who stood with his Bible at the foot of his bed, and said his name kindly and asked to say a prayer or lay his hands upon the burning body.
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Shain from the label kindly took time out to give us a little insight and history of this fiercely independent label.
Rock Sellout 2009
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Napolitano, who doesn't think Drudge "means the nickname kindly" said at a recent Politico event that Drudge is wrong in describing DHS programs as Orwellian and that "the privacy impact of new airport screening technology and similar programs are thoroughly vetted before they are implemented," in
Forbes.com: News Kashmir Hill 2011
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While their romance does have more moments of realism than the cutesy couplings of, say, It's Complicated, Karen's transformation from testy to kindly is hard to believe as other characters evolve more realistically.
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He came home; and Mr. Austin kindly bade him take his house for his home till he could return to me.
Letter 20 2009
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His smile could be called kindly and deferential, even likable, in the way we want old people to be wise and likable.
The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010
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His smile could be called kindly and deferential, even likable, in the way we want old people to be wise and likable.
The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010
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His smile could be called kindly and deferential, even likable, in the way we want old people to be wise and likable.
The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010
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His father, gentle, self-deprecating, kindly, is the favoured parent, but Barnes seems never to have been able to get close to him because of his ‘solipsistic’ and controlling mother.
granny commented on the word kindly
as in, "She kindly made me mad."
April 2, 2007