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kind

/kaɪnd//kaɪnd/·adjective
gentle, caring, and considerate toward others
Fig. 1 — I watch a woman standing out in the rain with nothing over her, her shoulders drawn up against the cold of it.
01Definition

Kind describes a gentle, considerate warmth in the way a person treats others — holding a door, listening without hurry, softening a hard word. It comes from the Old English gecynde, 'natural, innate', and once meant simply acting as one's own nature would. The warmth is meant to feel ordinary rather than grand: unlike benevolent, which suggests goodwill handed down from a position of strength, kind works quietly between equals, in the small gestures of everyday life.

02In use
  • iShe was unfailingly kind to new students, remembering their names and asking how they were settling in.
  • iiA kind word from the examiner helped alleviate the nervous candidate's anxiety before the test.
  • iiiIt was kind of him to wait, holding the door while she edged through with her arms full.
03Collocations
  • a kind word
  • kind enough to
  • kind to strangers
  • a small kind gesture

Family kindness (noun) · kindly (adverb) · unkind (adjective)

04Relations

=benevolent, considerate, compassionate, gentle, warm-hearted

≠cruel, unkind, harsh

05Compared
PairThe difference
kind vs benevolentlofty goodwill, often from strength or above → benevolent; everyday personal warmth between equals → kind.
kind vs charitablegiving to those in need, or a lenient judgment → charitable; general gentle, considerate warmth → kind.
06TOEFL & IELTS

In Speaking, 'kind' is easy to overuse as a vague positive; examiners reward precision, so anchor it to a concrete act ('kind enough to explain it twice') or lift the register to considerate, compassionate or benevolent where it fits. Watch the second meaning of kind as a noun ('a kind of', 'humankind'), a frequent trip-up in Reading. The adverb kindly can also soften a request ('kindly wait here').

07Asked
Is 'kind' an adjective or a noun?
Both — and that dual identity is easy to miss. As an adjective it means gentle and considerate ('a kind teacher'); as a noun it means a type or sort ('a kind of bird', 'humankind'). It even works informally as an adverb ('kind of tired'). An article like 'a' or 'this' in front of it usually signals the noun, while a linking verb before it ('she is kind') signals the adjective.
Should I write 'these kind of' or 'these kinds of'?
Write 'these kinds of'. When the pointer word is plural — these or those — the noun 'kind' has to be plural too: 'these kinds of problems', not 'these kind of problems'. Keep everything singular when you mean one type: 'this kind of problem'. The mixed form 'these kind of' is common in speech but is marked wrong in careful writing and on IELTS and TOEFL.
Is 'kind of' formal enough for essays?
No. 'Kind of' meaning 'somewhat' is an informal hedge that weakens academic writing — 'the result was kind of surprising' belongs in conversation, not a TOEFL or IELTS essay. Swap it for 'somewhat', 'rather' or 'fairly'. Note that the noun phrase 'a kind of X', meaning a type of X, is perfectly formal; only the vague adverbial 'kind of' is the problem.
What is the difference between 'kind', 'type' and 'sort'?
They overlap, but they sit on a ladder of formality: 'sort' is the most casual, 'kind' is neutral, and 'type' is the most formal and technical ('a rare blood type'). 'Sort of' and 'kind of' both act as informal hedges, but 'type of' does not. In academic writing, prefer 'type' for categories and avoid the hedging uses of the other two.
Does 'kindly' sound polite, or a little cold?
It can go either way, which is what makes it risky. 'Kindly' adds formality — 'kindly leave your bags at the door' — but to many ears, especially in American English, it sounds stiff, and in a command like 'kindly stop doing that' it turns faintly reproachful. It sits more naturally in British and South Asian English; for an everyday request, a plain 'please' is warmer.
What is the opposite of 'kind'?
The direct opposites are 'unkind' and 'cruel', but they differ in strength. 'Unkind' is the absence of warmth — a cold word, a failure to care — while 'cruel' is active, taking intent or even pleasure in causing pain. 'Harsh' sits between them, meaning severe rather than warm. So an unkind remark stings; a cruel one is meant to wound.
Is there a difference between 'kind' and 'nice'?
Yes. 'Nice' is about surface pleasantness, while 'kind' is about actually acting for someone else's good. A nice person is agreeable to be around; a kind one does something that helps you, often at a cost to themselves. In the scene above, that gap is the whole point: the man does not just smile pleasantly — he tilts his umbrella over a stranger and takes the rain on his own shoulder.