unkindly 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of unkindlynext
as in unkind

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

unkindly

2 of 2

adverb

as in cruelly

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unkindly
Adverb
Paris quickly put a stop to strangers speaking unkindly about her son. — Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024 His thin white hair shone under the TV lights that had treated him so unkindly. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024 Yet, since the post went up, some people have unkindly critiqued her cheeks, nose, chin and complexion, while others wonder what the fuss is all about. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026 Tabloids and magazines regularly reported on the state of the relationship, often unkindly. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2026 Furet had earlier co-produced a glossy two-volume study of the Revolution, La Révolution française (1965–66), described unkindly but not unjustly by Lynn Hunt as a coffee-table book. — Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025 Aimee Lou Wood, the British breakout star of The White Lotus season three, said Saturday Night Live has apologized after unkindly parodying her during Saturday night’s show. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkindly
  1. unkind
  2. cruelly
  3. contemptuous
  4. pitilessly
  5. scornful
  6. ruthlessly
  7. disparaging
  8. mercilessly
Adjective
  • During the first game, the Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner got tangled up, said some unkind things, and five players wound up with technical fouls in the aftermath.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • The market is now doing what project-finance investors are meant to do, testing the cash flow and asking who is left holding the risk if the day of refinancing is unkind.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of unkind
Adverb
  • In the penalty shootout, Verbruggen seemed to have saved from Rahimi again — only to see the ball cruelly creep in off his back.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Christian Pulisic even had a goal cruelly wiped out by the offside flag.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of cruelly
Adjective
  • The man didn’t catch Serena’s contemptuous expression, however, too busy peeling bills from a money clip and pressing them into his date’s hand.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • The fantasy of transforming a cold or contemptuous man through the sheer force of one’s love has caused real harm, and the critique of it is warranted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Definition of contemptuous
Adverb
  • The first hour, set at a resort that’s like a singles cruise through the Twilight Zone (or Bachelor in Paradise beamed in from a brutal alternate universe), contains some of the most pitilessly funny scenes of the filmmaker’s career.
    — A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of pitilessly
Adjective
  • Tribunals have been appointed, and Coriolanus’ scornful elitism strikes them as too heavy a price for his military protection.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Atletico did not believe this was a serious attempt to sign the player, and reacted with more angry and scornful social media posts.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of scornful
Adverb
  • Underdog sides have generally attempted to build up methodically with the ball, but any lapses of concentration have been ruthlessly punished by attackers who press hard and counter-attack quickly.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Leaders must immediately audit burn rate, freeze nonessential spend, tighten inventory cycles and reforecast ruthlessly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of ruthlessly
Adjective
  • Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.
    — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of disparaging
Adverb
  • All Harris needed was a 10-men England side to hold on as El Tri mercilessly delivered crosses into the box.
    — Fisher Isbell, AJC.com, 7 July 2026
  • It’s been blistering in New York City, with temperatures registering in the high 90s on successive days, then climbing to 100 degrees Thursday and mercilessly extending into the Fourth of July.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
Definition of mercilessly

Browse Nearby Words

unkindliness
unkindly
unkindness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unkindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unkindly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All