unkindly

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈkaɪndli/ UK /ʌnˈkaɪndli/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adv
in a harsh or unfeeling manner

She spoke unkindly of her former colleagues.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a harsh or unfeeling manner harshly cruelly unsympathetically callously meanly coldly

Opposites

kindly gently sympathetically warmly

Word family

Related forms kind kindly unkind unkindness

Etymology

From Old English uncyndelīc, from un- ('not') + kindly, from kind (Old English cynd 'nature, kind') + -ly.

un- Old English cynd Old English *kunþją Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unkindly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ʌnˈkaɪndli/
**IPA (UK):** /ʌnˈkaɪndli/

## Meanings
1. in a harsh or unfeeling manner

## Examples
- She spoke unkindly of her former colleagues.

## Synonyms
- harshly
- cruelly
- unsympathetically
- callously
- meanly
- coldly

## Antonyms
- kindly
- gently
- sympathetically
- warmly

## Related Forms
- kind
- kindly
- unkind
- unkindness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: cynd
- Root: *kunþją

## Etymology
From Old English uncyndelīc, from un- ('not') + kindly, from kind (Old English cynd 'nature, kind') + -ly.

## AI Etymology
Unkindly is from Old English uncyndelīc, from un- ('not') + kindly, from kind (Old English cynd 'nature, kind') + -ly. Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), cynd (Old English), and *kunþją (Proto-Germanic). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers in a harsh or unfeeling manner. The wider family includes related words such as kind, kindly, unkind, and unkindness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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