1
as in friendship
kindly concern, interest, or support
was touched by the kindliness of his neighbors, who voluntarily took care of his dog while he was in the hospital
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kindness
the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune
as a result of her kindliness, several poor families have the makings for a Thanksgiving feast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tenderness
sympathetic concern for the well-being of others
an elderly couple of modest means but infinite kindliness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kindliness
What was needed was a distanced kindliness—patience, an acknowledgment of the mess that was unfolding, an explanation of a way through, a reiteration of the soundness of the larger vision.
—
Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2021
Augustus didn’t emerge from uncertain beginnings and civil war through kindliness and good deeds; nor did Jahangir win the throne by patience and piety.
—Maxwell Carter, WSJ, 13 July 2018
Weinberg’s memoir doesn’t aspire to the depth of Feeney’s study, but its fealty and kindliness have their own appeal.
—Thomas Mallon, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018
Grandpa is hung-over,
grandma has run out of kindliness, Mom has post-traumatic
hostess stress.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2003
Mr. McCartney was the exception, radiating aw-shucks kindliness and preaching heartfelt peace and love in many of his songs.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2016
Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2021
Augustus didn’t emerge from uncertain beginnings and civil war through kindliness and good deeds; nor did Jahangir win the throne by patience and piety.
—Maxwell Carter, WSJ, 13 July 2018
Weinberg’s memoir doesn’t aspire to the depth of Feeney’s study, but its fealty and kindliness have their own appeal.
—Thomas Mallon, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018
Grandpa is hung-over,
grandma has run out of kindliness, Mom has post-traumatic
hostess stress.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2003
Mr. McCartney was the exception, radiating aw-shucks kindliness and preaching heartfelt peace and love in many of his songs.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindliness
Noun
-
This is the kind of friendship that dreams are made of.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Rihanna and Rocky first confirmed their romance in 2020 following nearly a decade of close friendship.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Redditors Share Their Own Heartwarming Delivery Stories Dwight's post struck a chord with many Reddit users, who shared their own experiences of kindness during deliveries.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Clarity can be another form of kindness, establishing boundaries that benefit everyone.—
Leisse Wilcox,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The meticulousness of the verse expresses not only the soldier’s discipline and resolve, but also the poet’s care, her unspoken but unmistakable tenderness toward him.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
-
With tenderness and love for its protagonist, the film touches on the unshakeable bond between man, animal, and nature in a profoundly touching manner.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
On February 14, the Adams County SPCA based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, shared a heartfelt statement on Facebook, expressing their deep appreciation for the community's incredible generosity.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Whether Grayson can overcome them hinges in no small part on his ability to inspire internet strangers with the sunniest possible version of his story, in the hopes their generosity fills the gaps left by public policy and civil rights law.—
Los Angeles Times,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Members of the Permanent Fund staff offered sympathy but did not accept responsibility for Peter Pan’s demise.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Does the person's story elicit emotions of sympathy?—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA TODAY,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Trump has no reason to presume that the 1935 case will be overruled even though two Supreme Court justices, John Roberts and Elena Kagan, were appointed in part because of their previously declared friendliness to executive power.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Feb. 2025
-
What remained unclear is how much of a lasting boost China’s economy could get from the ingenuity of one start-up, or how much confidence the business community could derive from the sudden friendliness of a leader who has a reputation for distrusting and disliking the private sector.—
Li Yuan,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This is a scandalous example of a broken system where common sense and good judgment were overruled by bad advice, lack of compassion, irresponsible fiscal oversight and a litigious culture.—
Marsha Sutton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Time is malleable, reality is only a function of our choices, and people can create their own second chances — ideas that Universal Language borrows from Kiarostami’s cinematic library of compassion, and then makes its own.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Such cordiality was impossible this time, and Dirk Hauser — head of media for Bayern’s academy then and to this day — had to keep the two men apart, in different parts of the old stadium.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Hold on to your butts, Samuel L. Jackson is coming after awards season cordiality.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
28 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Kindliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindliness. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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