Kind — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /ˈkīnd/

Meaning & Definition of Kind

Kind (noun)

  1. a group united by common traits or interests, category
  2. a specific or recognized variety
  3. a doubtful or barely admissible member of a category

Kind (adjective)

  1. of a sympathetic or helpful nature
  2. of a forbearing nature, gentle
  3. arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance

Kind (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others

    "a kind person who regularly volunteers at the homeless shelter"

    similar: beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kindhearted, kindly, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warmhearted
    related: attentive, considerate, solicitous, thoughtful, affable, amicable, benign, companionable, comradely, cordial, friendly, genial, gentle, good, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, mild, neighborly, nice, pleasant, sweet, warm, clement, forbearing, forgiving, lenient, merciful, soft, patient, pitying, tolerant, understanding, altruistic, brotherly, charitable, freehanded, generous, greathearted, humanitarian, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, noble, openhearted, philanthropic, selfless, unselfish, unsparing, anticruelty, cruelty-free
    opposite: atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, bestial, brutal, brute, brutish, callous, cold-blooded, cruel, fiendish, hard-hearted, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, sadistic, savage, truculent, uncompassionate, unfeeling, unkind, unkindly, unsympathetic, vicious, wanton
    near: ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, inconsiderate, insensitive, thoughtless, uncaring, unthinking, grim, hard-boiled, harsh, heavy-handed, severe, stern, tough, unsentimental, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, virulent, antihumanitarian, uncharitable

  2. given to or made with heedful anticipation of the needs and happiness of others

    "providing the grieving widow with a homemade meal was a kind deed"

    similar: attentive, considerate, solicitous, thoughtful
    related: brotherly, good, good-hearted, helpful, hospitable, kindhearted, kindly, neighborly, nice, caring, compassionate, sympathetic, tender, chivalrous, courteous, courtly, gallant, gracious, polite, diplomatic, tactful, deferential, dutiful, obliging, regardful, respectful, altruistic, beneficent, benevolent, benignant, humane, selfless, unselfish, charitable, generous, magnanimous
    opposite: heedless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking
    near: inattentive, uncaring, unheeding, inhospitable, unkind, unkindly, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impolite, rude, uncivil, unmannerly, unhelpful, malevolent, malicious, mean, spiteful

Kind (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common

    "I like that kind of candy"

    similar: breed, class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, order, sort, species, strain, stripe, type, variety
    related: model, sample, specimen, bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank(s), set, suite

  2. one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic

    "we looked at just about every kind of flooring before deciding which to use in the kitchen"

    similar: bracket, category, class, classification, division, family, genus, grade, group, league, order, rank(s), rubric, set, species, tier, type
    related: description, feather, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, sort, branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety, breed, race, generation, heading, label, title

Related Entry: Kind of (adverb)

Kind of is a different word from Kind. The synonyms below are for kind of, not for kind.

  1. to some degree or extent

    "those sheets are kind of new, so use something else to cover the floor while painting"

    similar: enough, fairly, kindly (chiefly Southern), like, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of, a bit, after a sort, a little, a mite, a tad, a touch, of sorts, to a degree
    related: acceptably, decently, passably, tolerably, little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, vaguely, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway
    near: awfully, beastly, deadly, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, frightfully, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, mightily, mortally, particularly, surpassingly, terribly, very, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Kind

The most common words with a similar meaning to Kind:

beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kindhearted, kindly, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warmhearted, attentive, considerate, solicitous, thoughtful, breed, class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, order, sort, species, strain, stripe, type, variety, bracket, category, classification, division, family, genus

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Kind

Words with the opposite meaning of Kind:

atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, bestial, brutal, brute, brutish, callous, cold-blooded, cruel, fiendish, hard-hearted, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, sadistic, savage, truculent, uncompassionate, unfeeling, unkind, unkindly, unsympathetic, vicious, wanton, heedless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking

Related Words for Kind

affable, amicable, benign, companionable, comradely, cordial, friendly, genial, gentle, good, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, mild, neighborly, nice, pleasant, sweet, warm, clement, forbearing, forgiving, lenient, merciful, soft, patient, pitying, tolerant, understanding, altruistic

Near Antonyms of Kind

ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, insensitive, uncaring, grim, hard-boiled, harsh, heavy-handed, severe, stern, tough, unsentimental, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, virulent, antihumanitarian, uncharitable, inattentive, unheeding, inhospitable, ill-bred

Word Forms of Kind

Inflections: kinder, kindest

Origin & Etymology of Kind

Middle English kinde, from Old English cynd; akin to Old English cynn kin

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Kind

Words & Phrases Containing Kind

kind of, five of a kind, four of a kind, in-kind, three of a kind, be kind enough, be so kind, nothing of the kind

Frequently Asked Questions about Kind

What does "Kind" mean?

"Kind" means a group united by common traits or interests, category. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: a group united by common traits or interests, category. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Kind"?

Other words for "Kind" include beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kindhearted and kindly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Kind" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Kind"?

There are 130 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Kind". Common alternatives include beneficent, benevolent, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kindhearted, kindly, softhearted and sympathetic.

What is the opposite of "Kind"?

Antonyms of "Kind" include atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, bestial, brutal, brute, brutish and callous. Near antonyms include ironhearted, merciless, pitiless and ruthless.

How do you use "Kind" in a sentence?

Examples of "Kind" in a sentence: "a kind person who regularly volunteers at the homeless shelter"; "providing the grieving widow with a homemade meal was a kind deed"; "I like that kind of candy".

Is "Kind" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Kind" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Kind" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Kind" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Kind"?

"Kind" is pronounced /ˈkīnd/.