benevolence

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Kindness

Nouns

1. benevolence, Christian charity, goodwill; God's grace; altruism, philanthropy, unselfishness; good nature, kindness, kindliness, loving-kindness, benignity, brotherly love, charity, humanity, fellow-feeling, sympathy, goodness of heart, heart of gold, open heart, bonhomie, kind-heartedness; amiability, milk of human kindness, tenderness, love, friendship; consideration, mercy (See pity).

2. generosity, liberality, bounty, almsgiving; good works, beneficence, act of kindness, good turn, the shirt off one's back; good offices, labor of love; public service, social science, sociology.

3. philanthropist, benefactor, good Samaritan, Robin Hood, ministering angel; good citizen; sympathizer, altruist, humanitarian; welfare, social, or case worker; charity; Salvation Army, Good-Will Industries, Red Cross, etc. Informal, do-gooder. See giving, goodness.

Verbs — bear goodwill, mean well by, wish well, take an interest in, sympathize with, feel for; have one's heart in the right place; do as you would be done by, do unto others [as you would have others do unto you]; meet halfway; treat well, give comfort, do a good turn, benefit, render a service, open one's heart, be of use; give of oneself; aid, philanthropize; heap coals of fire on a person's head.

Adjectives

1. benevolent, benign, kindly, well-meaning; amiable, good-natured, cordial, obliging, courteous (See courtesy); gracious, unselfish, magnanimous; considerate, sympathetic, tender, warmhearted, kindhearted; charitable, liberal, generous, beneficent, altruistic, humane, bounteous, bountiful; public-spirited; well-intentioned, well-meaning, well-meant.

2. fatherly, motherly, brotherly, sisterly; paternal, maternal, fraternal; Christian, Christ-like.

Adverbs — benevolently, charitably, with good or the best intentions; with all one's heart, with [a] good will; liberally, generously.

Phrases — charity begins at home; handsome is as handsome does; all that is not given is lost; the roots of charity are always green.

Quotations — Cast thy bread upon the waters (Bible), It is more blessed to give than to receive (Bible), We do not quite forgive a giver (Emerson), I have always depended on the kindness of strangers (Tennessee Williams), The living need charity more than the dead (George Arnold), Kind hearts are more than coronets (Lord Tennyson).

Antonyms, See malevolence.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. kindness, charity, altruism, good will; see kindness 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

kindness, goodwill, charity, humanitarianism, goodness, altruism, generosity, compassion, sympathy. ''One of the distinguishing characteristics of man. It is the path of duty.''—Mencius.

ANT.: meanness, ill will, cold-heartedness, misanthropy

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. Kindly, charitable interest in others: altruism, beneficence, benignancy, benignity, charitableness, charity, goodwill, grace, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, philanthropy. See ATTITUDE, KIND. 2. A charitable deed: benefaction, beneficence, benignity, favor, kindliness, kindness, oblation, office (often used in plural), philanthropy. See GIVE, KIND.