kindly

kindly — adverb

1. in a gentle, warm, or generous way that shows care for other people

1.adverbA2
Definition

in a gentle, warm, or generous way that shows care for other people

Example

Dr. Martins spoke kindly to the worried patient before the surgery.

spoke kindly to [person] — verb pattern

Lucía kindly offered to drive her elderly neighbour to the hospital.

kindly offered to + verb — verb pattern

Common collocations
  • speak kindly to
  • kindly offered
  • kindly agreed
  • kindly helped
  • smile kindly
  • treat kindly
Synonyms
  • warmly

    emphasises emotional openness and friendliness

  • gently

    stresses softness and care, especially in handling a delicate matter

  • generously

    highlights giving more than expected, often materially

Antonyms
  • coldly

    lacking warmth or friendliness

  • harshly

    showing roughness or lack of care

Grammar Patterns

verb + kindly

kindly + verb

Common Mistakes

She spoke to me kind.
She spoke to me kindly.
Kind is an adjective; kindly is the adverb form needed to describe how an action is done.

2. used when making a polite request that also expresses slight annoyance or impati

2.adverbB1
Definition

used when making a polite request that also expresses slight annoyance or impatience at the situation

Example

The exam supervisor whispered, 'Would you kindly stop tapping your pencil on the desk?'

'Andrew, will you kindly lower the volume on your game?' his father called from the kitchen.

Common collocations
  • would you kindly
  • will you kindly
  • are kindly requested
  • are kindly reminded
  • kindly refrain from
Synonyms
  • please

    neutral and widely used; lacks the annoyed tone of kindly

  • pray

    archaic or highly formal; rare in modern speech

Grammar Patterns

will you kindly + verb

would you kindly + verb

passive: are kindly requested to + verb

passive: are kindly reminded to + verb

Usage Note

This use of kindly typically appears with imperative forms or in passive request structures (will you kindly… / are kindly requested to…). It often carries a tone of controlled irritation rather than genuine politeness. Common in formal notices, official emails, and complaints.

Common Mistakes

I kindly ask you to help.' (sounds unnatural when the speaker is the subject)
Would you kindly help?' or 'You are kindly asked to help.
With kindly in requests, the person being asked should be the subject.
Idioms

kindly adjust

idiom

A polite way to ask people to accept a change or problem.

The train is delayed by one hour. Kindly adjust.

Our office will be closed tomorrow. Kindly adjust your schedule.

look kindly on/upon something/somebody

idiom

To approve of or have a favorable opinion about something or someone.

The committee looked kindly on his proposal for a new park.

Does your boss look kindly on employees working from home?

not take kindly to something/somebody

idiom

To dislike or be annoyed by something or someone.

Maya does not take kindly to people interrupting her work.

The cat did not take kindly to the new dog in the house.

kindly — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Kindly, gently, warmly, generously, and cordially all describe positive ways of treating others, but each focuses on a different shade of meaning. Kindly emphasises thoughtful care for someone's well-being ('She kindly offered him a ride home'). Gently stresses softness and a lack of force, especially in handling delicate situations ('He gently told her the news'). Warmly focuses on emotional openness and genuine affection ('The guests were warmly greeted at the door'). Generously highlights giving more than is expected, often materially ('He generously donated his prize money'). Cordially suggests formal friendliness, often in invitations or social correspondence ('You are cordially invited to the ceremony'). Choose kindly when the action arises from genuine concern; choose gently when the manner is soft and careful; choose warmly when the tone is affectionate; choose generously when the giving is abundant; and choose cordially for formal or written contexts.

gently ↗warmly ↗generouslycordially

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • very kindly
  • most kindly

Phrases

  • take kindly to
  • look kindly on
  • look kindly upon
  • think kindly of

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Kindly comes from Old English cyndelīce, meaning 'naturally' or 'fittingly', from cynd ('nature, family, kind') plus the adverbial suffix -līce. By the 14th century the meaning shifted from 'in a natural way' to 'in a friendly, well-disposed way', reflecting the idea that treating others with care was considered natural and proper. The adjective use (meaning 'having a kind nature') developed around the same period.