kindness

K5I1N1D2N1E1S1S1
/ˈkaɪnd.nəs//ˈkaɪnd.nɪs/

noun

The state of being kind.

“Do me a kindness and leave.”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounkindness (usually uncountable, plural kindnesses)

plural kindnesses · alternative obsolete kindenesse · alternative obsolete kindnesse

  1. 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
  2. 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

Opposite

nountendency to be kind and forgiving

nouna kind act

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishkyndenesse
  2. Englishkindness

From Middle English kyndenesse, equivalent to kind + -ness.

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
APA

kindness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindness

MLA

“kindness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kindness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindness.

Source: kindness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.