as in rude
lacking in kindness, helpfulness, sympathy, etc.
an unkind remark unkind treatment It was unkind of you not to invite her.
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Recent Examples of unkind
Screams at the refs, unkind words hurled at McMillan as the team made its exit.
—
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
The end of the millennium was not unkind to Hart.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
Reviews of his play were unkind.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2025
The hot, humid conditions of the cave were unkind to delicate insect bodies.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unkind
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
The end of the millennium was not unkind to Hart.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
Reviews of his play were unkind.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2025
The hot, humid conditions of the cave were unkind to delicate insect bodies.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unkind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unkind
Adjective
-
To do so would be rude, politically perilous, insulting to our biggest trade partner and just plain weird.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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The interactions would last 30 seconds, maybe, and no one was rude.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Over time, this buildup can affect the dishwasher's performance, lead to unpleasant odors, and leave dishes less clean.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The water in Griffin was deemed safe to use the same day as the spill, later in the evening, but some residents believed the water still had an unpleasant smell.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On some of the country’s biggest lakes, often hundreds of miles wide with no current, an unfavorable wind made a waterway impassible.—
Outside,
Outside,
7 Feb. 2026
-
That is, clinicians have a duty to restrict the range of clinical options, because medical interventions with unfavorable risk/benefit profiles can set back patients’ health interests rather than protecting or promoting them.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Aggressive, inconsiderate and unsafe operation prevail.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
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Any other course of action is inconsiderate of the employees and inconvenient for fellow customers.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some do this flippantly, but reader Robin suggested drivers who do this do not care and are flat-out discourteous.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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In 2014, he was found to have been discourteous and used force.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Not a historical correction, but an emotional one: an impolite acknowledgment of something people feel they are usually expected to soften, qualify, or leave unsaid.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
26 Jan. 2026
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For years, pointing out the obvious was considered impolite: America’s biggest, most distortionary transfer of wealth does not flow from elites to the working class.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unkind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unkind. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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