kindly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkīn(d)-lē How to pronounce kindly (audio)
Definition of kindlynext
1
as in kind
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others brought homemade chicken soup out of kindly concern for my health

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2
as in helpful
promoting or contributing to personal or social well-being a vegetarian diet can be very kindly to a person hoping to lose a few pounds

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kindly

2 of 2

adverb

1
as in nicely
with good reason or courtesy would you kindly hand me the scissors?

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2
as in pretty
chiefly Southern to some degree or extent their visit was kindly a surprise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kindly
Adjective
Joe Negri, a jazz guitarist best known to generations of children and their parents as the kindly, music-loving handyman of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, died Saturday, May 30, at a senior living facility outside Pittsburgh. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 June 2026 Other kindly ushers, who had directed people to an adjacent section after Section 535 filled up, politely asked everyone to please put their shirts back on before returning to the general stadium population. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Adverb
Flood kindly took on all the engineering duties, which freed me up to be in the band room with Eno. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026 Anna Fischbein grew accustomed to visits to her home in Sunny Isles, Florida, from the same kindly Haitian health aide every week for the past 10 years. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for kindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindly
  1. kind
  2. helpful
  3. nicely
  4. pretty
  5. compassionate
  6. beneficial
  7. thoughtfully
  8. quite
Adjective
  • So his church—which has raised many millions of dollars for good causes, and operates a local food pantry and food truck—decided to distribute lawn signs simply encouraging people to be kind.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Engler said even in her early days of stardom, Parton was always kind and pleasant.
    — Jessica Guay, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Squeeze bottles are also helpful for storing and dispensing homemade condiments (think spicy mayo) or syrups for coffee or cocktails.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Starter Davis Martin said the veterans who have been in past playoff pushes have been helpful.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of helpful
Adverb
  • As for Apple, Amazon and Sony, all three companies have strong technology businesses in addition to theatrical and streaming content, which may align nicely with Imax's tech-heavy business.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • None of this would worry me if the systems failed loudly, but a model out of its depth returns fluent, confident and nicely formatted text that happens to be wrong.
    — Faisal Saeed, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of nicely
Adverb
  • This pretty green bottle holds a luxe Korean formula inspired by their iconic scalp treatments.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Another angle to factor in is that Baltimore and Cincinnati have pretty low floors.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pretty
Adjective
  • Libra September 23 – October 22 The routine that keeps draining you may need a more compassionate rhythm.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • Unlike tobacco, a static product with no real defensible qualities outside of recreation, consumer technology is ever evolving, and the lines between harmfully addictive and beneficial to society can be extremely blurry.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Also, ants are a beneficial insect and may not even be harming your plants.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of beneficial
Adverb
  • When these fibers are thoughtfully integrated, Wong said the fabric instantly conveys a higher level of refinement.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Today, the roughly 7,000-square-foot house has been thoughtfully updated while retaining its Elizabethan character.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoughtfully
Adverb
  • It's been quite a disappointing year for home shoppers who waited since 2023 for rates to cool off.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • However, the approach is marred by low throughput, and the process is also quite complex to execute.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of quite

Phrases Containing kindly

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kindlings
kindly
kindness
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Cite this Entry

“Kindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindly. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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