Unkindly
adj, adv ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Not kindly.; Not kind, lacking in friendliness, warm-heartedness or sympathy.
"Preceded by the beadle, and attended by an irregular procession of stern-browed men and unkindly visaged women, Hester Prynne set forth towards the place appointed for her punishment."
- 2 Not kindly.; Rough, unfavourable, bad. archaic
"From this superfluous pulp in unkindely, and wet years, may arise that multiplicity of little insects, which infest the Roots and Sprouts of tender Graines and pulses."
- 3 Not kindly.; Unnatural, contrary to the natural or proper order of things. obsolete
"That detestable sight him much amazde, / To see th’vnkindly Impes of heauen accurst, / Deuoure their dam;"
- 1 lacking in sympathy and kindness wordnet
- 1 In an unkind manner.
"Good master, take it not unkindly, pray, / That I have been thus pleasant [i.e. joking] with you both."
- 2 In an unnatural manner. obsolete
"All th’ unaccomplisht works of Natures hand, / Abortive, monstrous, or unkindly mixt, / Dissolvd on earth, fleet hither, and in vain, / Till final dissolution, wander here,"
- 1 in an unkind manner or with unkindness wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"These stories are as old as anything that men have invented. They were narrated by naked savage women to naked savage children. They have been inherited by our earliest civilised ancestors, who really believed that beasts and trees and stones can talk if they choose, and behave kindly or unkindly. The stories are full of the oldest ideas of ages when science did not exist, and magic took the place of science."
Etymology
From Middle English unkyndely, from Old English unġecyndelīċ; equivalent to un- + kindly (adjective).
From Middle English unkyndely, from Old English unġecyndelīċe; equivalent to un- + kindly (adverb) or unkind + -ly.
Related phrases
More for "unkindly"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.