Synonyms of kindliness

kindliness

noun

ˈkīn(d)-lē-nəs 

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

• friendship
• generosity
• friendliness
• cordiality
• kindness
• neighborliness
• amity
• benevolence
• goodwill
• good-fellowship
• brotherhood
• charity
• fellowship
• community
• comradeship
• harmony
• gemütlichkeit
• companionship
• cordialness
• bonhomie
• collegiality
• camaraderie
• civility
• tolerance
• sympathy
• empathy
• comity
• rapport
• rapprochement
• concord
• unselfishness
• altruism
• communion
• selflessness
• affinity
• company
• philanthropy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• malevolence
• intolerance
• venom
• hostility
• malice
• hatred
• ill will
• antagonism
• enmity
• animosity
• antipathy
• disfavor
• hate
• rancor
• belligerency
• incivility
• querulousness
• quarrelsomeness

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

• kindness
• sympathy
• compassion
• heart
• generosity
• mercy
• pity
• humanity
• feelings
• feeling
• kindheartedness
• sensitivity
• commiseration
• ruth
• good-heartedness
• warmheartedness
• responsiveness
• charity
• affection
• regard
• largeheartedness
• love
• sensibility
• bigheartedness
• empathy
• softheartedness
• altruism
• benevolence
• benignity
• humanism
• goodwill
• affinity
• rapport
• humaneness
• humanitarianism
• philanthropy
• benignancy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indifference
• inhumanity
• coldness
• unconcern
• cruelty
• callousness
• disinterest
• mercilessness
• pitilessness
• hard-heartedness
• hatred
• hostility
• harshness
• coldheartedness
• inhumanness
• animosity
• antipathy
• dislike

3

as in tenderness

sympathetic concern for the well-being of others

an elderly couple of modest means but infinite kindliness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kindness
• tenderness
• humaneness
• benignity
• generosity
• benevolence
• warmth
• beneficence
• kindheartedness
• tenderheartedness
• attentiveness
• warmheartedness
• thoughtfulness
• good-heartedness
• friendliness
• considerateness
• mercifulness
• patience
• benignancy
• affability
• compassionateness
• softheartedness
• pleasantness
• graciousness
• niceness
• magnanimity
• tolerance
• charitableness
• understanding
• leniency
• clemency
• altruism
• unselfishness
• good-naturedness
• philanthropy
• charity
• good-temperedness
• greatheartedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cruelty
• savagery
• callousness
• inhumanity
• barbarity
• brutality
• heartlessness
• savageness
• brutishness
• unkindness
• ruthlessness
• bestiality
• mercilessness
• severity
• sternness
• toughness
• hard-heartedness
• thoughtlessness
• insensitivity
• inconsiderateness
• cold-bloodedness
• unkindliness
• barbarousness
• harshness
• pitilessness
• unfeelingness
• grimness
• meanness
• malevolence
• virulence
• spitefulness
• maliciousness
• hatefulness
• vitriol

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of kindliness

Internet wags have wondered whether Gunn’s kindliness extends to malevolent immigrants like General Zod. — Armond White, National Review, 18 July 2025

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

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