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 constructionsJoseph ConradHe 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
Kathi Maio… Grandfather was a strict Loyalist. He would not take kindly to anyone who criticized the king!—Valerie Trip
Valerie TripExamples of take kindly to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The dead man’s son doesn’t take kindly to these events.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Dec. 2024
On Friday, Battle missed weight by an eye-popping four pounds, and Brown didn’t take kindly to his opponent’s lack of professionalism.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Lawmakers in both parties didn’t take kindly to the impromptu lobbying frenzy.
—Nicole Narea, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Authoritarian governments are not known for taking kindly to criticism.
—Rania Khaled, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take kindly to 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Dec. 2024
On Friday, Battle missed weight by an eye-popping four pounds, and Brown didn’t take kindly to his opponent’s lack of professionalism.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Lawmakers in both parties didn’t take kindly to the impromptu lobbying frenzy.
—Nicole Narea, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Authoritarian governments are not known for taking kindly to criticism.
—Rania Khaled, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take kindly to
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 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share