kindly
Somewhat or kind of, not the polite "thank you kindly" sense.
Also called kind of, kinda, kindy.
Updated September 24, 2026
kindly pronunciation
/KINE-lee/
Meaning
In Appalachian talk, kindly softens what comes next. It's kindly chilly. He was kindly mad. Same job as kind of or rather. Not about being nice. Don't confuse it with thank you kindly. Mountain speech kept this older degree sense that most English dropped.
How folks use it
- “Pap said he was feeling kindly sickly and took to his bed.”
- “It got kindly dark before we made it off the ridge.”
Origin and etymology
Pronunciation and sense of kind of, matching older British dialect kindly meaning rather or somewhat (English Dialect Dictionary). DARE marks this chiefly South and South Midland, especially the southern Appalachians.
Frequently asked questions
Does kindly mean polite here?
Not in this use. Here it means somewhat. The polite thank you kindly is a different sense of the same spelling.