# milk of human kindness

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/milk-of-human-kindness
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Compassion shown to other people.

## Examples

- She shows the milk of human kindness to everyone she meets.
- The stranger offered to pay for my groceries, showing the true milk of human kindness.
- Even in the harshest conditions, he retained the milk of human kindness and helped those who had nothing left.

## Origin

First used by Shakespeare in Macbeth (see quotations).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.