kindness

/ˈkaɪndnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkaɪndnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkīn(d)-nəs/ (ame, mw)

kindness — noun

  • kindnesssingular
  • kindnessesplural

1. The quality of treating other people with warmth, care, and generosity, especial

1.名詞B1
釋義

The quality of treating other people with warmth, care, and generosity, especially when they are in need or having a difficult time.

例句

Élise showed great kindness by visiting her elderly neighbour every morning.

collocation: show kindness

The nurse's kindness helped the frightened child feel safe in the hospital.

同義詞
  • compassion

    emphasises feeling pity and wanting to relieve suffering, stronger emotional colour

  • warmth

    focuses on friendliness and affection in personal interaction

  • generosity

    stresses willingness to give time, money, or help freely

  • benevolence

    more formal; describes an organised or habitual desire to do good

反義詞
  • cruelty

    the deliberate causing of pain or suffering, opposite in intent

  • unkindness

    the direct opposite; lack of care or consideration

文法句型

kindness to/toward someone

out of kindness

with kindness

用法筆記

Usually uncountable when referring to the quality as a general personal trait. The plural form 'kindnesses' belongs to sense 2 (countable actions).

常見錯誤

❌I was touched by his kindnesses.
✅I was touched by his kindness.
💡When referring to the general quality, use the uncountable form. 'Kindnesses' means individual kind acts (sense 2).

2. A helpful or generous thing that you do for another person, often small in scale

2.名詞B1
釋義

A helpful or generous thing that you do for another person, often small in scale but meaningful to the person who receives it.

例句

Layla did many small kindnesses for her coworkers, like making tea for them.

countable: did kindnesses

One kindness Dario remembers is a stranger paying for his bus fare.

countable: one kindness (pattern: a kindness is…)

同義詞
  • favour

    more common in British English; a kind act done for someone you know

  • good deed

    emphasises the moral worth of the action

  • good turn

    informal British idiom; a small helpful act between friends

反義詞
  • unkindness

    a mean or hurtful act, the direct opposite

  • spite

    an act intended to annoy or hurt someone

文法句型

do someone a kindness

a kindness to someone

用法筆記

Countable — you can say 'a kindness' or 'kindnesses' when referring to specific acts. A determiner (a, the, one, many, etc.) or modifier (small, great) almost always precedes it — 'kindness' alone without a determiner signals sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌She did me a kindness.' (without specifying what).
✅She did me a kindness by driving me to the station.
💡When using 'a kindness,' give a concrete description of the act so the reader knows what happened.