ˈkīnnə̇s also -ndnə̇s noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English kindenesse, from kinde, kind + -nesse -ness
1. : an act or instance of being kind : favor
a well-established lawyer did a great kindness in taking into his office this young man — Ruth P. Randall
2.
a. : the quality or state of being kind : sympathy , clemency
man's supreme manifestation of the spirit is kindness — Albert Schweitzer
cooler air … enwrapped him in its kindness — Joseph Whitehill
b. archaic : a feeling of fondness : affection , love
a lady for whom he had once entertained a sneaking kindness — Washington Irving