Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Not kindly; unkind.
  • adverb In an unkind manner.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a manner contrary to nature; unnaturally.
  • In an unkind manner; without kindness or affection; ungraciously.
  • Unnatural; contrary to nature.
  • Unfavorable; malignant.
  • Not kindly; unkind; ungracious: as, an unkindly manner.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Not kindly; unkind; ungracious.
  • adjective obsolete Unnatural; contrary to nature.
  • adjective Unfavorable; annoying; malignant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In an unkind manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective lacking in sympathy and kindness
  • adverb in an unkind manner or with unkindness

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

unkind +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • Its quite plain significance -- to any but those thugs (I do not use the term unkindly) is, that Shakespeare had no prominence while he lived, and none until he had been dead two or three generations.

    Is Shakespeare Dead? 1909

  • Its quite plain significance -- to any but those thugs (I do not use the term unkindly) is, that Shakespeare had no prominence while he lived, and none until he had been dead two or three generations.

    Is Shakespeare Dead? from my autobiography Mark Twain 1872

  • Its quite plain significance -- to any but those thugs (I do not use the term unkindly) is, that Shakespeare had no prominence while he lived, and none until he had been dead two or three generations.

    What Is Man? and Other Essays Mark Twain 1872

  • -- to any but those thugs (I do not use the term unkindly) is, that

    Bacon is Shake-Speare Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence 1875

  • No nice, normal-minded person could remember, or morbidly want to remember, the name unkindly given by Julius Cæsar to Noyon, when he had besieged it.

    Everyman's Land 1889

  • Sometimes referred to unkindly as the grande horizontale, Princess Marthe Bibesco was beautiful, talented, intelligent, and “knew” everybody in Europe from royals to politicos.

    American Connections James Burke 2007

  • Sometimes referred to unkindly as the grande horizontale, Princess Marthe Bibesco was beautiful, talented, intelligent, and “knew” everybody in Europe from royals to politicos.

    American Connections James Burke 2007

  • Though you do not let the boys bully me, yet if you treat me unkindly, that is to me a great deal worse.

    Life of Lord Byron Moore, Thomas, 1779-1852 1854

  • The court said that even in a state that still looks "unkindly" on thievery in a $15 billion industry - and noting it used to be the kind of thing settled with a rope over a tree limb - such a large damages award was too much and should be recalculated to something more

    Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal 2010

  • AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Supreme Court on Friday struck down a $1.25 million jury award in a case involving a ranching feud, a drought and wandering cattle improperly sold for about state that still looks "unkindly" on thievery in a $15 billion industry - and noting it used to be the kind of thing settled with a rope over a tree limb - such a large damages award was too much and should be recalculated to something more "modest."

    Brownsville Herald : 2010

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