unkind

adjective

un·​kind ˌən-ˈkīnd How to pronounce unkind (audio)
Synonyms of unkindnext
1
: not pleasing or mild : inclement
an unkind climate
2
: lacking in kindness or sympathy : harsh, cruel
How could you be so unkind?
—often used with to
regretted being unkind to her little brother
Fate was unkind to them. [=they were unlucky]
unkindness
ˌən-ˈkīn(d)-nəs How to pronounce unkind (audio)
noun

Examples of unkind in a Sentence

It was unkind of you not to invite her. How could you be so unkind?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There's nothing that the kind and tolerant left loves more than being unkind and intolerant towards people who have a different political perspective. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 October's atmospheric downside Even October, however, can occasionally be unkind to stargazers. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026 As viewers enjoy the new series and revisit the original, online commentary has been unkind about Guy’s appearance. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026 Doctors of the time were woefully unable to treat her—and their contemporaries were notoriously unkind about her condition. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unkind

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unkind was in the 13th century

Rhymes for unkind

See All Rhymes for unkind

Browse Nearby Words

unkillable
unkind
unkindliness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unkind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unkind. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

unkind

adjective
un·​kind ˌən-ˈkīnd How to pronounce unkind (audio)
: not kind or sympathetic
an unkind remark
unkindly adverb
unkindness
-ˈkīn(d)-nəs How to pronounce unkind (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unkind

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unkind

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All