Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The quality or state of being kind.
  • noun An instance of kind behavior.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state or quality of being kind; good will; benevolence; beneficence of action or manner.
  • noun A kindly or tender feeling; affection; love.
  • noun That which is kind; an act of good will; a benefaction: as, to do one a kindness.
  • noun Accordance with mood or desire; fitness; agreeableness; congruity: as, the kindness of the elements.
  • noun Synonyms Tenderness,compassion, humanity, clemency, mildness, gentleness, goodness, generosity, fellow-feeling. See benignant and kindly.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The state or quality of being kind, in any of its various senses; manifestation of kind feeling or disposition beneficence.
  • noun A kind act; an act of good will.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The state of being kind.
  • noun An instance of kind or charitable behaviour.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
  • noun tendency to be kind and forgiving
  • noun a kind act

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From kind +‎ -ness

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Examples

  • Stewart wound up the bit by saying everyone should take a lesson in kindness from the Sanchez episode.

    Jon Stewart: Rick Sanchez 'has a big heart' (Video) Melissa Bell 2010

  • Usually he prefaces his turn with a plaintive speech in which he refers to the kindness and fair play shown him by his Australian audiences.

    The Secret Life of Houdini William Kalush 2006

  • But papa was stern for once, and vowed that I had been served quite right, declared that I should not be removed from school, and sent old Swishtail a brace of pheasants for what he called his kindness to me.

    The Fatal Boots 2006

  • Usually he prefaces his turn with a plaintive speech in which he refers to the kindness and fair play shown him by his Australian audiences.

    The Secret Life of Houdini William Kalush 2006

  • I was still trying to reconcile the term kindness with the bad-tempered Raziel I’d been saddled with.

    Raziel Kristine Douglas 2011

  • I was still trying to reconcile the term kindness with the bad-tempered Raziel I’d been saddled with.

    Raziel Kristine Douglas 2011

  • Mamma enjoys the birds very much, and I think I do more; for I have the double pleasure of giving them to mamma, and of eating them afterwards; but your kindness is the best of all.

    The Wide, Wide World 1892

  • He exasperates me every moment by his stupidity, which you call his kindness; by his dullness, which you call his confidence, and then, above all, because he is my husband, instead of you.

    Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant Guy de Maupassant 1871

  • He exasperates me every moment by his stupidity, which you call his kindness; by his dullness, which you call his confidence, and then, above all, because he is my husband, instead of you.

    Original Short Stories — Volume 05 Guy de Maupassant 1871

  • He had, of course, received the letter we had written to him from Tripataly, and quite pained me by the gratitude he showed for what he called my kindness to his daughter.

    The Tiger of Mysore A Story of the War with Tippoo Saib 1867

Comments

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  • Kindness glides about my house.

    Dame Kindness, she is so nice!

    from "Kindness," Sylvia Plath

    March 26, 2008

  • life, gift of

    July 23, 2009