unkind

adjective

Definition of unkindnext
as in rude
lacking in kindness, helpfulness, sympathy, etc. an unkind remark unkind treatment It was unkind of you not to invite her.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 unkind Doctors of the time were woefully unable to treat her—and their contemporaries were notoriously unkind about her condition. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026 Criticism helpful to a stage performer during rehearsal may be unkind on opening night. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Jones shattered, the way this league can crush a QB if the fates are unkind. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 July 2026 During the first game, the Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner got tangled up, said some unkind things, and five players wound up with technical fouls in the aftermath. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unkind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkind
  1. rude
  2. unpleasant
  3. unfavorable
  4. inconsiderate
  5. discourteous
  6. impolite
Adjective
  • Don’t expect Miss Manners ever to issue an OK-to-be-rude pass.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Rosie Campbell, Managing Director of Eleos AI Research, a nonprofit dedicated to understanding and addressing the potential well-being of AI, said that some other studies have even shown that rude questions can actually improve results.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • George is being extremely unpleasant toward everyone and seems to be moving toward a breakdown.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Consumers across the country have described to CBS California Investigates, and in hundreds of online reviews, their unpleasant experiences at the stores, alleging they were pressured to make purchases worth thousands of dollars.
    — Amy Corral, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Cooper wanted to accept; Franklyn did not, maintaining that the terms were still unfavorable.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026
  • With the appearance of Omitsu’s lover, her reputation among the villagers, which had improved, took an unfavorable turn.
    — Yasushi Inoue, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of unfavorable
Adjective
  • Before assuming someone is being inconsiderate, ask what’s keeping them there.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When Venus opposes Saturn on August 21, someone’s likely going to be fed up with someone else’s inconsiderate behavior.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of inconsiderate
Adjective
  • Some do this flippantly, but reader Robin suggested drivers who do this do not care and are flat-out discourteous.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 11 Jan. 2026
  • In 2014, he was found to have been discourteous and used force.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of discourteous
Adjective
  • Joyful noise and other, impolite sounds radiated from the sets oscillating between the two sites.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Simply hide the ninja figures and wait for your unsuspecting victim to walk by when out of nowhere, the motion activation lets loose a very impolite noise sure to have your kids rolling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of impolite

Browse Nearby Words

unkept
unkind
unkindliness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unkind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unkind. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All