Word
kindness
Phoneticskind·ness
US/ˈkaɪndnəs/
UK/kˈaɪndnəs/
Definitions
01the quality of being kind
n. the quality of being friendly, generous, and caring toward other people.
n. the abstract quality of being benevolent, considerate, or helpful. Uncountable in this sense.
“I will never forget the kindness she showed me when I first moved to this city.”
“The nurse was celebrated for her extraordinary kindness and patience while caring for the most difficult patients in the ward.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'to' or 'towards' when directed at someone.
Synonyms
02a kind act
n. a specific helpful or generous thing that you do for someone.
n. a specific instance or act of kind or charitable behaviour. Countable in this sense.
“He did me a great kindness by lending me his car for the weekend.”
“She repaid his many kindnesses by supporting him through his long recovery after the accident.”
Usage
Commonly used in the plural 'kindnesses' or with the verb 'do'.
Teaching tip
Learners often forget that 'kindness' can be countable when referring to specific actions.
Etymology
From Middle English kyndenesse, equivalent to kind + -ness.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Idioms
milk of human kindness — Compassion shown to other people.