kindly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkīn(d)-lē How to pronounce kindly (audio)
Definition of kindlynext
1
as in kind
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others brought homemade chicken soup out of kindly concern for my health

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2
as in helpful
promoting or contributing to personal or social well-being a vegetarian diet can be very kindly to a person hoping to lose a few pounds

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kindly

2 of 2

adverb

1
as in nicely
with good reason or courtesy would you kindly hand me the scissors?

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2
as in pretty
chiefly Southern to some degree or extent their visit was kindly a surprise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 kindly
Adjective
Reiner appeared as the kindly Albert Schnurr, a restaurant consultant and mentor to line cook Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson), on season 4 of the culinary drama. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026 Even the kindly Florida manatee, connoisseur of bayou seagrass, sometimes flies into a carnivorous rage, snapping up fish and gnashing them in its terrible teeth. — David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
Adverb
But apparently Payton didn't take too kindly to the Seahawks coaches' scouting tactics. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The Yankees have been, to put it kindly, offensively challenged in the absence of Aaron Judge and with their captain likely to miss the Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox. — James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindly
  1. kind
  2. helpful
  3. nicely
  4. pretty
  5. compassionate
  6. beneficial
  7. thoughtfully
  8. quite
Adjective
  • Shapira paints a picture of a kinder, gentler war, where technology takes soldiers away from the trenches and from the tanks, to a chair behind a screen.
    — Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Five days after Bela Bajaria was fired as Netflix‘s Chief Content Officer and replaced by Peter Rice, Ted Sarandos had nothing but kind words for his former loyal lieutenant, kinda.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • That’s not super helpful if your web application has been written using PHP.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In order to be helpful, Muse constantly builds extensive dossiers of users and their desires, social relationships, and messaging behaviors, TIME’s Harry Booth reported this month.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of helpful
Adverb
  • After a frosty start Monday, temperatures will rebound nicely into the lower 70s.
    — Steven Sosna, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Think earthy stone surfaces, deep woods, and sleek modern headboards juxtaposed with the kind of rustic, wooly blankets that would fit nicely into Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of nicely
Adverb
  • That lead seemed pretty secure, considering Rasmussen entered the World Series having allowed three runs in 21 playoff innings against the Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The odds are pretty good there’s going to be a bowl of blueberries near you.
    — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretty
Adjective
  • Others discussed overcoming the initial awkwardness of the work and finding satisfaction in helping doctors become more competent and compassionate.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • At the same time, the lawsuits contend that chatbots are pretending to be agreeable and compassionate while preying on the vulnerable and on teenagers, the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence.
    — Marc Levy, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • More broadly, the decoupling could be beneficial for the Nasdaq-100, with Apple potentially serving as a safety trade amid growing AI volatility.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • And the controversy, the Collins insider says, may turn out to be perversely beneficial.
    — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of beneficial
Adverb
  • Skipping the betting apps, or at least thoughtfully budgeting for them as entertainment, is only part of it, because money left sitting in savings accounts also misses out on compounding.
    — Jamie Franco, global macro and cross-asset strategist, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Companies that thoughtfully build and prioritize autonomous agents, which includes accounting for context, can better protect themselves from operational consequences.
    — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of thoughtfully
Adverb
  • Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t quite defeated at his press conference last Monday after the 23-13 loss to Green Bay, but the head coach realized how low the morale was around the building.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The savory vol-au-vent with pear and onion jam, tart tamarind and pecorino cheese is ambitious, but the pastry itself was a bit heavy, the layers not quite flaky enough for the abundant stuffing.
    — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of quite

Phrases Containing kindly

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kindlings
kindly
kindness
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Cite this Entry

“Kindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindly. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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