Meanings
plural kindnesses · alternative obsolete kindenesse · alternative obsolete kindnesse
- uncountableusuallyThe state of being kind.
Jamie's kindness is legendary, so much that people have taken advantage of her.
1 more example
If attending to your childhood wounds and responding with kindness feels selfish, it is important to remember that compassion for oneself often makes people more compassionate to others, Lev said.
2025 April 28, Madeline Holcombe, “It might be time to ‘reparent’ yourself. Here’s how to get started”, in CNN - uncountableusuallyAn instance of kind or charitable behaviour.
Do me a kindness and leave.
3 more examples
How can I thank you for your many kindnesses?
i'm going to turn a blind eye to this misdemeanour, out of the kindness of my heart.
They are grateful for kindnesses that they may have received.
1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 8, page 232
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishkyndenesse
- Englishkindness
From Middle English kyndenesse, equivalent to kind + -ness.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek εὐμένεια
- εὐμένεια (euméneia)being kind
Arabic إِحْسَان
- إِحْسَان (ʔiḥsān)being kind
Catalan bondat, bondat
- bondatinstance of charitable behavior
- bondatbeing kind
- cortesiabeing kind
- gentilesabeing kind
Chinese Mandarin 恩惠, 仁慈
- 恩惠 (ēnhuì)being kind
- 仁慈 (réncí)being kind
Czech laskavost, laskavost
- laskavostinstance of charitable behavior
- laskavostbeing kind
Danish venlighed, tjeneste
- venlighedinstance of charitable behavior
- tjenesteinstance of charitable behavior
- venlighedbeing kind
- velviljebeing kind
- imødekommenhedbeing kind
- elskværdighedbeing kind
- godhedbeing kind
Dutch vriendelijkheid, aardigheid
- vriendelijkheidinstance of charitable behavior
- aardigheidinstance of charitable behavior
Esperanto amindeco, afableco
- amindecobeing kind
- afablecobeing kind
- bonkorecobeing kind
Finnish palvelus, kiltteys
- palvelusinstance of charitable behavior
- kiltteysbeing kind
- ystävällisyysbeing kind
French bonté
- bontébeing kind
German Liebenswürdigkeit
- Liebenswürdigkeitbeing kind
Greek καλοσύνη, καλοσύνη
- καλοσύνη (kalosýni)instance of charitable behavior
- καλοσύνη (kalosýni)being kind
Hindi दया, दया
- दया (dayā)instance of charitable behavior
- दया (dayā)being kind
- दयालुता (dayālutā)being kind
Hungarian kedvesség
- kedvességbeing kind
Irish cineáltas, cineáltas
- cineáltasinstance of charitable behavior
- cineáltasbeing kind
Italian bontà, favore
- bontàinstance of charitable behavior
- favoreinstance of charitable behavior
- piacereinstance of charitable behavior
- gentilezzainstance of charitable behavior
- bontàbeing kind
- gentilezzabeing kind
- cortesiabeing kind
- garbobeing kind
Japanese 親切, 優しさ
- 親切 (shinsetsu)being kind
- 優しさ (yasashisa)being kind
Korean 친절
- 친절 (chinjeol)being kind
Latin venia, bonitas
- veniainstance of charitable behavior
- bonitasbeing kind
- caritasbeing kind
Māori tauwhirotanga
- tauwhirotangabeing kind
Polish miłe zachowanie, życzliwość
- miłe zachowanieinstance of charitable behavior
- życzliwośćbeing kind
- uprzejmośćbeing kind
- przychylnośćbeing kind
- dobroćbeing kind
- łaskawośćbeing kind
- benewolencjabeing kind
Portuguese caridade, gentileza
- caridadeinstance of charitable behavior
- gentilezabeing kind
Romanian bunătate, amabilitate
- bunătatebeing kind
- amabilitatebeing kind
- bunăvoințăbeing kind
Russian доброта́, доброта́
- доброта́ (dobrotá)instance of charitable behavior
- доброта́ (dobrotá)being kind
- любе́зность (ljubéznostʹ)being kind
- доброжела́тельность (dobroželátelʹnostʹ)being kind
Slovak láskavosť
- láskavosťbeing kind
Spanish amabilidad, bondad
- amabilidadbeing kind
- bondadbeing kind
Tagalog buti
- butibeing kind
Tamil அன்பு
- அன்பு (aṉpu)being kind
Turkish incelik, kibarlık
- incelikinstance of charitable behavior
- kibarlıkinstance of charitable behavior
- incelikbeing kind
- kibarlıkbeing kind
- naziklikbeing kind
Ukrainian доброта́
- доброта́ (dobrotá)being kind
Vietnamese lòng tốt
- lòng tốtbeing kind
Welsh caredigrwydd, caredigrwydd
- caredigrwyddinstance of charitable behavior
- caredigrwyddbeing kind
Zulu umusa
- umusabeing kind
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with kindness
All rhymes →Cite this entry
kindness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindness
“kindness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kindness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindness.
Source: kindness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.