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
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
Grandpa is hung-over,
grandma has run out of kindliness, Mom has post-traumatic
hostess stress.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2003
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
Grandpa is hung-over,
grandma has run out of kindliness, Mom has post-traumatic
hostess stress.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2003
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindliness
Noun
-
Disagreements over the war have disrupted family dinners, upended friendships, and splintered congregations.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
For some of you, a casual friendship might turn into a flirtation or even a serious romance.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Seham Hassen was known for her kindness, faith and deep love for her family.—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Luplow, 36, is one of four winners of the inaugural FECK Awards, a national program created by Chaz Ebert to recognize people who show exemplary forgiveness, empathy, compassion and kindness, or FECK.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Carolyn didn’t want to go but relented after being encouraged by her sister and some newfound tenderness toward her husband.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But while her previous pictures never shied away from tenderness despite their outré scenarios, her latest is a far more melancholy affair.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Creative self-expression and generosity of spirit are themes as the moon harmonizes with Jupiter!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
His generosity was shown on ABC 7 Chicago this past December.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Playing on the sympathy of the owner of the local sawmill, Winston leverages his family’s plight to talk his way into a job.—
Francine Prose,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Laura Ullrich has sympathy for college graduates looking for work.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And the openness and the friendliness and the happy faces.—
Annie Alleman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Beginner-friendliness is where the S1 shines, as Skyrover managed to outfit this ultra-light drone with a decent set of safety features without gutting everything else.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Rats have grit, versatility, compassion, and a mind-bogglingly long history of beating the odds.—
Jason Bittel,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Carney had said the English-only message showed a lack of compassion and judgment.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Indianapolis didn't crack Nextdoor's list of the 20 friendliest cities in Indiana, but its separate ranking of neighborhoods in the Indy metro area finds plenty of cordiality in Central Indiana.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Liberated from this approach to economic warfare, relations with allies may recover some of their former cordiality.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kindliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindliness. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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