kindly
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adv.a polite way to say 'please' when asking someone to do something.
adv.used as a polite marker in requests or instructions, often to soften a command or maintain formal decorum.
Simple“Kindly close the door behind you when you leave the office.”
In context“The department head requested that all staff members kindly submit their expense reports before the end of the fiscal quarter.”
UsageUsually placed before the verb in a request.
Synonymspleaseobligingly - 02 B1 Intermediate
adv.doing something in a caring, helpful, or friendly manner.
adv.in a kind, benevolent, or sympathetic manner.
Simple“The old man smiled kindly at the children playing in the park.”
In context“She spoke kindly to the nervous intern, offering constructive feedback that helped build his confidence during the first week.”
SynonymsAntonymsunkindlyharshly - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a friendly and caring nature.
adj.possessing or displaying a sympathetic, warmhearted, or benevolent nature.
Simple“She was a kindly woman who always helped her neighbours.”
In context“The village doctor was a kindly soul, known for visiting patients late at night without ever mentioning the cost of his services.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
adv.a little bit or somewhat.
adv.used to mean 'kind of' or 'to some extent'.
Simple“It is getting kindly late, so we should probably head home.”
In context“The weather turned kindly cold toward the evening, catching the hikers without their heavy coats.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is specific to certain regional dialects and is rarely encountered in standard international English.
From Middle English kyndely, kyndeliche, from Old English cyndelīċ (“natural, kindly”); equivalent to kind + -ly.
From Middle English kyndely, kyndly, kyndeliche, from Old English ġecyndelīċe, equivalent to kind + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.