Definition of "kindly" in English

adjective

1. Having a kind personality; kind, warmhearted, sympathetic.

   • A kindly old man sits on the park bench every afternoon feeding pigeons.

2. (dated) Favourable, gentle, pleasant, tidy, auspicious, beneficent.

3. (archaic) Lawful.

4. (obsolete) Natural; inherent to the kind or race.

adverb

1. In a kind manner, out of kindness.

   • He kindly offered to take us to the station in his car.

2. In a favourable way.

3. Used to make a polite request: please.

   • Kindly refrain from walking on the grass.
   • May we request that patrons kindly take their seats.

4. (US) With kind acceptance; used with take.

   • I don't take kindly to threats.
   • Aunt Daisy didn't take it kindly when we forgot her anniversary.

5. (dialectal) Kind of, somewhat.

6. (archaic) Readily.

7. (obsolete) Naturally.