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 The action starts at Long Island’s historically unkind Shinnecock Hills on Thursday. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 15 June 2026 The mother-in-law tends to be very negative, and is known to say unkind things about whoever isn’t present. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 Hating on conservatives is fine, but saying something unkind about progressive ideology, individuals or groups is another matter altogether. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026 Critics were unkind in reviewing the musical, which hit the boards on April 22 after previewing from March 27. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 May 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
  • Only one guy, Timothy Piatkowski, a researcher involved with the Games, suggested that my question might be a little rude.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • It’s considered rude to answer one’s phone on public transport or in a restaurant, for example.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • Like them, his music seesaws between aggressive and playful, between crowd-pleasing and purposefully unpleasant.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • As exciting as this match at the home of baseball’s New York Mets is likely to be, the players will be met with unfavorable weather conditions.
    — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • In April, Pew found that Republicans with a negative view of Israel ticked up since last year, with 57% of young Republicans having an unfavorable view of Israel compared with 50% a year ago.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of unfavorable
Adjective
  • For some workers, letting AI write a message to a coworker may seem like a harmless time-saving hack, while others view it as inconsiderate or rude.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • The tension finally boils over when Joe accuses them of being inconsiderate neighbors with their loud lovemaking.
    — Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 26 June 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
  • Refrain from talking loudly on public transport Most locals use their travel time to rest or sleep, so talking loudly is considered highly impolite to fellow passengers.
    — Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
  • But honoring whiteness itself was deemed impolite, to say the least.
    — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 8 June 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 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unkind

Nglish: Translation of unkind for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All