Kind definition

kīnd
kinder kindest kinds
See word origin
Frequency:
Agreeable or beneficial.

A dry climate kind to asthmatics.

adjective
43
18
(archaic) Loving; affectionate.
adjective
33
13
Sympathetic, friendly, gentle, tenderhearted, generous, etc.
adjective
13
8
Sort; variety; class.
noun
5
0
Equivalent means used as response to an action.

I'll pay in kind for his insult.

noun
7
3
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Lineal ancestry or descent.
noun
6
2
A doubtful or borderline member of a given category.

Fashioned a kind of shelter; a kind of bluish color.

noun
5
1
Essential character.
noun
7
4
A group of individuals or instances sharing common traits; a category or sort.

Different kinds of furniture; a new kind of politics.

noun
4
1
The natural order or course of things; nature.
noun
4
1
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Origin.
noun
4
1
Nature.
noun
4
1
(archaic) One's inherent nature; character, natural disposition.
noun
4
1
adjective
4
1
Used to form nouns denoting groups or classes taken collectively.
suffix
4
1
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Cordial.

Kind regards.

adjective
8
7
(obs.) Natural; native.
adjective
8
7
Having or showing a friendly, generous, sympathetic, or warm-hearted nature.
adjective
6
5
Gentle; tractable; easily governed.

A horse kind in harness.

adjective
4
3
The definition of kind is warm, generous or sympathetic.

An example of kind is the personality of Mother Theresa.

adjective
3
2
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A type, race or category; a group of entities that have common characteristics such that they may be grouped together.

What kind of a person are you?

This is a strange kind of tobacco.

noun
3
2
A makeshift or otherwise atypical specimen.

The opening served as a kind of window.

noun
3
2
Goods or services used as payment, as e.g. in a barter.
noun
3
2

A kind man; a kind heart.

adjective
3
2
Underlying character as a determinant of the class to which a thing belongs; nature or essence.
noun
2
1
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Manner or fashion.
noun
1
1
Lineal ancestors or descendants considered as a group.
noun
1
1
Manner; way.
noun
1
1
A natural group or division.
noun
4
5
Mild, gentle, forgiving.

The years have been kind to Richard Gere; he ages well.

adjective
1
2
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Kind is defined as a type of something.

An example of kind is fruits that are red.

noun
1
3
(informal) all kinds of
  • Plenty of; ample:
    We have all kinds of time to finish the job.
idiom
4
1
in kind
  • With produce or commodities rather than with money:
    Pay in kind.
  • In the same manner or with an equivalent:
    Returned the slight in kind.
idiom
4
0
(informal) kind of
  • Rather; somewhat:
    I'm kind of hungry.
idiom
3
1
of a kind
  • Of the same kind; alike:
    My father and my uncle are two of a kind.
idiom
4
0
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after one's (or its) kind
  • in agreement with one's (or its) nature
idiom
2
1
all kinds of
  • many or much
    all kinds of money.
idiom
3
0
in kind
  • in goods or produce instead of money
  • with something like that received; in the same way
idiom
2
2
kind of
  • somewhat; rather; almost
idiom
2
1
of a kind
  • of the same kind; alike
  • of poor quality; mediocre
    Entertainment of a kind.
idiom
1
2
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
kind
Plural:
kinds

Adjective

Base Form:
kind
Comparative:
kinder
Superlative:
kindest

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

after one's (<i>or</i> its) kind

Origin of kind

  • Middle English kinde natural, kind from Old English gecynde natural genə- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old English gecynd race, offspring, kind genə- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English -kinde, -kunde, -kuinde, alteration (due to the noun kind (“type, class”)) of Middle English -kin, -kun, -cun, from Old English -cynn (“of or belonging to a specified race or family”), from cynn (“family, race”), see kin. Most uses appear to have been formed by analogy with mankind.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Old English cynd (“generation, kind, nature, race”), ġecynd, from Proto-Germanic *kundiz, *gakundiz, related to *kunją. See also kin.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Old English cynde (“innate, natural, native”), ġecynde, from cynd.

    From Wiktionary

Kind Sentence Examples

  • The years had not been kind to him.

  • What kind of a job do you have now?

  • He taught that men ought to be kind even to their enemies.

  • Be kind, and use your wits.

  • Alex doesn't want this kind of life.

More sentences

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near kind in the Dictionary