kindness

IPA/ˈkaɪndnəs/
KK[kˈaɪndnəs]IPA/ˈkaɪndnəs/

kindness — 名詞

  • kindnesssingular
  • kindnessesplural

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

1.名詞B1
釋義

善良；仁慈

待人溫和體貼的品性

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.

Élise 每天早上去探望年長的鄰居，展現了極大的善良。

collocation: show kindness

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

護士的仁慈讓那個嚇壞的孩子在醫院裡感到安心。

常見搭配
  • show kindness
  • kindness to/toward someone
  • out of kindness
  • with kindness
  • human kindness
  • treat someone with kindness
  • great kindness
  • genuine kindness
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

善行；善事

幫助他人的具體行為

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.

Layla 為同事做了許多小小的善事，像是幫他們泡茶。

countable: did kindnesses

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

Dario 記得的一件善事，是一位陌生人幫他付了公車車資。

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

常見搭配
  • do someone a kindness
  • show someone a kindness
  • small kindness
  • act of kindness
  • a kindness to someone
  • great kindness
  • countless kindnesses
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.
慣用語

kill somebody/something with kindness

idiom

To treat someone or something so nicely that it actually causes harm.

溺愛反而害了某人/某物

Sara killed her puppy with kindness by giving it too many treats.

Did Diego kill the plant with kindness by watering it every day?

the milk of human kindness

idiom

The natural tendency to be kind and caring toward others.

人性中的善良

Maya showed the milk of human kindness when she helped the lost child.

Brian's milk of human kindness made him volunteer at the shelter.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

  • act of kindness
  • gesture of kindness
  • word of kindness
  • deed of kindness

副詞搭配

  • genuine kindness
  • simple kindness
  • great kindness
  • unexpected kindness

常用片語

介系詞搭配

  • kindness to/toward
  • kindness of
  • out of kindness
  • with kindness