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
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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
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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
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
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
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
-
But the core of the show really examines how the shapes’ conflicting personalities clash, and how the friends overcome those personal challenges to maintain their friendships.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Cline also has a great dynamic with supporting actors Wylie and Thompson, their overlapping banter giving those friendships an organic feel.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These companies show that kindness and innovation go hand in hand.—
Nav Thethi,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
While the internet isn't necessarily known for its joy and kindness, Wylie has been blown away by the response since sharing the video on TikTok.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Both sobering and dreamlike, with moments of genuine tenderness, her film bears witness to cycles of trauma and creates a devastating indictment of historical patriarchal abuse.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
-
But there’s a tenderness to him, too, which comes through later, when it’s revealed that Luke’s a single dad with a sensitive side.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
But every actor, from Stephen Graham on down, had to bring a certain level of fearlessness and generosity of spirit to the project, and Baig was looking for those qualities as much as for the right faces to embody a community in the North of England.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Despite the cloud hanging over his head, Colvin continues to promote a narrative of success and generosity.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Filming largely from David’s perspective, and augmenting the action with cultural politics, Lee seems fully in sympathy with the protagonist’s viewpoint.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Linda obviously wasn’t offended by the popular entertainer’s lack of sympathy and had apparently forgiven him.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Expat Insider survey cites cost of living and friendliness as a few reasons why.—
Road Trips,
AFAR Media,
6 Aug. 2025
-
While vacation towns can range in dog friendliness, Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore stands out for its hyper-dog-friendly accomodations, activities, restaurants and more.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Zoo officials said the 160-pound gorilla, who had received training on how to be a good mother, appeared to act out of maternal compassion for the human child.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Amid a series of alarming tweets in 2020, Kardashian spoke out about West's health, asking for compassion.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But Trump is testing the limits of their cordiality.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
-
But while Trump and Putin speak of each other with cordiality, relations are testier between the two countries than the rhetoric would indicate.—
Astha Rajvanshi,
NBC news,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kindliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindliness. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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