take kindly to

idiomatic phrase

: to feel or show an inclination or willingness to accept or approve of (something or someone)
She congratulated herself still more on observing in the course of days that Mr Verloc seemed to be taking kindly to Stevie's companionship. Joseph Conrad
usually used in negative constructions
He doesn't take kindly to criticism. [=he doesn't like to be criticized]
But Terry Gilliam has never been a company man. … He has never taken kindly to the controls of studio heads and accountants … Kathi Maio
… Grandfather was a strict Loyalist. He would not take kindly to anyone who criticized the king! Valerie Trip

Examples of take kindly to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Jake explored further and found that people have not taken kindly to Warner Bros. Discovery or the BBC (which airs Rowling adaptation Strike) over this. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024 The intrigue: Senators and representatives who were elected to public office and spent years climbing through the ranks may not take kindly to taking orders from private citizens who are new to the details. Neil Irwin, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024 That’s a hard pill to swallow for anyone, much less a slightly narcissistic reality star, and Mia predictably does not take kindly to the implication, ending the episode by running to the bathroom in tears after listing out all the ways her children are thriving. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024 The dead man’s son doesn’t take kindly to these events. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take kindly to 

Word History

First Known Use

1733, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take kindly to was in 1733

Dictionary Entries Near take kindly to

Cite this Entry

“Take kindly to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20kindly%20to. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.

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