kindly

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkaɪndli/

• Audio (GA)

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• Rhymes: -aɪndli
• Hyphenation: kind‧ly

From Middle English kyndely, kyndeliche, from Old English cyndelīċ (“natural, kindly”); equivalent to kind +‎ -ly.

kindly (comparative kindlier, superlative kindliest)

1. Having a kind personality; kind, warmhearted, sympathetic.

   A kindly old man sits on the park bench every afternoon feeding pigeons.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto LXVI, page 91:

     The shade by which my life was crost, […] Has made me kindly with my kind

   • 2021 July 28, Christian Wolmar, “Forgotten by the railways, but ripe for the exploring”, in RAIL, number 936, page 34:

     This was the first long train journey I ever took, and the details remain in my memory as sharply as if they had taken place last week. Hopping on the Circle Line to King's Cross, boarding the compartmentalised train, the kindly ticket inspectors, and every station where the Grimsby express stopped (in those days it didn't go through to Cleethorpes).

2. (dated) Favourable, gentle, pleasant, tidy, auspicious, beneficent.
   • 1712 (date written), Alexander Pope, “Messiah. A Sacred Eclogue, in Imitation of Virgil’s Pollio.”, in The Works of Alexander Pope Esq. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton, H. Lintot, J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, and S. Draper, published 1751, →OCLC, page 38:

     Ye Heav'ns! from high the devvy nectar pour, / And in ſoft ſilence ſhed the kindly ſhovv'r!

   • 1815, William Wordsworth, “(please specify the page)”, in The White Doe of Rylstone; or The Fate of the Nortons. A Poem, London: […] [James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], →OCLC:

     His Brothers' wisdom or their love— / But calmly from the spot withdrew; / The like endeavours to renew, / should e'er a kindlier time ensue.

   • 1833, John Henry Newman, Lead, kindly Light:

     Lead, kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom, / ⁠Lead Thou me on

3. (archaic) Lawful.
4. (obsolete) Natural; inherent to the kind or race.
   • 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:

     the kindly fruits of the earth

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 11:

     An heard of Bulles, whom kindly rage doth sting,

   • 1609 November 15 (Gregorian calendar), Lancelot Andrewes, “A Sermon Preached before the King’s Majesty at Whitehall, on the Fifth of November, A.D. MDCIX”, in J[ohn] P[osthumous] W[ilson], editor, Ninety-six Sermons […], volume IV, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Henry Parker, published 1841, →OCLC, page 253:

     [W]hatsoever as the Son of God He may do, it is kindly for Him, as the Son of Man, to save the sons of men.

• kindlily
• kindliness
• kindly tenant
• unkindly

From Middle English kyndly, kyndely, kyndeliche, kundeliche, from Old English ġecyndelīċe, equivalent to kind +‎ -ly.

kindly (comparative kindlier or more kindly, superlative kindliest or most kindly)

1. In a kind manner, out of kindness.

   He kindly offered to take us to the station in his car.

   • a. 1887 (date written), Emily Dickinson, “[Book IV.—Time and Eternity] The Chariot”, in Mabel Loomis Todd and T[homas] W[entworth] Higginson, editors, Poems, First Series, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, published 1890, →OCLC, page 138:

     Because I could not stop for Death, / He kindly stopped for me; / The carriage held but just ourselves / And Immortality.

   • 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, chapter 23, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M. Hill Co., →OCLC:

     She was both beautiful and young to their eyes. Her hair was a rich red in color and fell in flowing ringlets over her shoulders. Her dress was pure white but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upon the little girl.

2. In a favourable way.
   • 2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Aguero was quick to block Hennessey's attempted clearance and the ball bounced kindly to Dzeko, who had the simplest of tasks to put City ahead.

3. Used to make a polite request: please.

   Kindly refrain from walking on the grass.

   Kindly move your car out of the front yard.

   • a. 1770s, Traditional (lyrics and music), “Seven Drunken Nights ”, performed by The Dubliners:

     Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me / Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?

4. (US) With kind acceptance; used with take.

   I don't take kindly to threats.

   Aunt Daisy didn't take it kindly when we forgot her anniversary.

5. (dialectal) Kind of, somewhat.
6. (archaic) Readily.
7. (obsolete) Naturally.

• (please): Kindly is used in a slightly more peremptory way than please. It is generally used to introduce a request with which the person addressed is expected to comply, and takes the edge off what would otherwise be a command.
• (with kind acceptance): This sense is a negative polarity item; it is usually found in questions and negative statements, as in the above example sentences.

• (in a kind manner): thoughtfully
• (used to make polite requests): be so kind as to, please

• take kindly

• “kindly”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.