KINDLINESS Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

kindliness

noun

ˈkīn(d)-lē-nəs

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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as in tenderness

sympathetic concern for the well-being of others an elderly couple of modest means but infinite kindliness

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Example Sentences

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.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindliness

Noun

Men’s interests, appetites, jawlines, leg lengths, testosterone levels, and friendships or lack thereof have been the object of feverish media attention in the past couple of years.

— Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
An emo band whose members might otherwise now be at their most stable and content, they still seem authentically driven by unbridled, urgent emotion—only now their breakups involve lawyers, and the friendship drama occurs between people who rely on each other for income.

— Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026